2053 - The One I Love

The trailer for this intrigued the hell out of me.  Combined with the fact that I adore Elisabeth Moss and really dig the Duplass brother’s stuff it had me at hello.  

Part of the fun of the film is the mystery element, and I don’t want to say too much.  It’s about a husband and wife who are at their wit’s end of what to do with each other, and then at the advice of their therapist they go to a retreat-esque cabin where all goes really well… too well… and they start to question that. 

The best part of the film is how the “element” (as I’ll call it in a non-spoilery way) does a really beautiful job of dissecting relationship issues in a fun, fresh, and really really smart way.  I LOVED that about the film.  The worst part is how the “element” closer to the end tries to explain itself in a realistic way, and almost destroys what came before by doing so.  I HATED that about the film.  So this is a tough one for me.  I think it’s worth seeing for sure, but by the end I didn’t love it as much as I did at about the half-way mark.  The performances are fantastic and the ideas are interesting - so based on that alone I can recommend it.  It’s definitely a conversation piece.  I’d say give it a go if you’re a fan of the cast and like messed up loved stories and think pieces.

2023 - Mad Men - Season Seven: part one

Somehow I thought we had one more episode for this half-season.  I love how this season started up and worked - it was so refreshing to see Don working for something as opposed to just coasting and bossing people around - it did a lot for regaining sympathy for him with his head between his heels.  I loved the way his relationship with Peggy has changed in all the years we’ve known them - it’s pretty amazing and staggering.  If you’d told the Don of season 1 that he’d one day be answering to the girl who gets his coffee he’d have laughed you out of his office.  

I have to say that with the exception of Sally, I could do without ever seeing the adventures of Betty and family for the rest of the series.  No offence to those cast members involved, it just feels like such a wasted amount of time especially given that we’ve got so precious few episodes left.  It really feels like everyone is getting a chance to shine - Roger visiting his daughter on a commune, co-workers going, literally, insane.  The company coming into it’s own, and Joan finally getting the financial wealth she’s only ever dreamed of.  It was actually sad to see Don and Megan’s relationship disintegrate and I wonder what they’ve got planned for him in the final eight when it comes to romance.  I doubt they’d have him and Peggy hit the sheets, but stranger things have happened… Looking forward to the final episodes when it returns.

1862 - Mad Men: season 6

I've read some complaints about this season, but I don't have a single one.  I don't think this show is for everyone - it's got a pretty specific pace and it takes it's sweet-ass time.  It goes on minor tangents I don't largely care for - but for the most part it hits it's mark and it hits it hard.  I loved watching Don become his own undoing, and Peggy, bless her, be dragged around without any say in what she was doing, but being rewarded and no longer having to feel like she was under the thumb of Don.  The merger of companies was a pretty inspired choice.  I won't be the first to say that this felt like it easily could have been a series finale the way they left things off - but I for one am curious to see what this series does for it's swan song and finale bow.  This show will leave a pretty big hole in the drama world when it comes to a close.

1785 - Get Him to the Greek

I'm actually not sure if I've seen this film since it was in theatres, but I remember (like Sarah Marshall) being surprised just how hilarious I found it to be, and what a fun film.  It's a great addition to the buddy comedy and while not quite a rival for Planes, Trains, & Automobiles it's definitely a close relative.  The soundtrack to this film (almost entirely - if not absolutely entirely original songs by the main character) is something quite spectacular and elevates the film from being merely good to pretty nifty-great (that's now a term - use it!).  Brand and Hill are a great pairing and their energy feeds off each other in really delightful ways and shifts nicely when they're with Bryne and Moss as their respective love interests.
If you've never seen this and are a fan of any of the cast or just the buddy comedy in general this is a must see - and the songs are an awesome bonus - I listen to the soundtrack fairly regularly.

1744 - Mad Men: season five

No point in burying the lead.  As a show that has shown continued quality in storytelling, this is Mad Men's finest season.  It does what great television does - it gets better as it goes along, deeper into the characters the longer get to know them, to the point where someone like Peggy who started off as Don's secretary is now his equal.  A show that makes you hate Pete Campbell and then have a season where he literally gets punched in the face a lot and you feel, sort of, bad for him. 
I won't get into the specifics of the season, great as they were.  I will say that Jessica Pare is a very welcome edition to the main cast and there's no love lost to seeing January Jones step into a very minor part of the show (the seasons only weak spot was checking in on her, as if we cared at all about her getting fat - seriously writers, have Sally move in with Don and then drop Betty altogether). 
What I really liked about this season was how we saw deeper into Don's psyche than ever before.  This is a man whom it means a great deal to earn what you have, to work hard for it.  And this is where I'll probably get into SPOILERS… Take the characters of Lane and Megan.  Lane didn't really earn what he had, he didn't follow the proper way of things, and so his punishment was the ultimate one.  Megan, frustrated and tired of not being successful in her chosen field asks Don to pull a favour and get her the part that she wants.  And as punishment it would appear that Don's wandering eye has returned.  Joan helped the firm get a client that Don worked his ass off to earn, and so she's forever sullied their relationship.  The one person in his entire world that's worked hard and earned what they have is Peggy.  And because of that Don treasures her above everyone else, even if he does realize it too late.
I believe that the show is expecting to do two more seasons - and if it continues with this level of greatness then sign me up!  If you haven't been in on this from the get-go, I believe that the first four season are on Netflix - do yourself a favour and get caught up!

1682 - Did You Hear About The Morgans?

This came to us through zip.ca because, I'm sure, of Emily.  It's been sitting there for a while and so I finally popped it in.  Here's the thing - it's by no means terrible - I think it got trashed in reviews and it flopped at the box office, but I think that's largely due to the terrible title.  Parker and Grant are both draws, so I can't imagine any other reason...
For those who don't know, it's a rom-com about a power-couple who aren't getting along due to him having diddled around who witness a murder and have to go into witness relocation and, you guessed it, re-connect in a way they never would have without it having had happened. 
It's charmingly directed by Grant's apparent director-of-choice Marc Lawrence, and the thing flows along nicely, even though we know what's going to happen (I will say that the climax is terribly written, I'm sorry - it just is - the moment of their firm reconciliation is just, well, kind of embarrassing in terms of how cliche it is - feels like it was out of a different film altogether).  Elisabeth Moss, whom I adore, is given a small role here and does everything she can with it and easily steals all her scenes. 
So I don't think this deserves the flack it got, it's a perfectly fine rom-com - it's nothing phenomenal, and light entertainment at best, but there are a hell of a lot worse out there.  What you've got here is a perfectly fine hour and a half with some very charming actors and a decent enough story.  A great rainy afternoon film.

1670 - Frosty the Snowman

Got up this morning and Ephraim wanted to watch something, so I took the chance to introduce him to this.  I remember it from my own childhood, but... well... I guess some things age really well and some age just okay.  There are some cute little moments for the adults, but for some reason I just remember this seeming like a much more grand adventure.  Little things that drove me nuts were the inconsistency of what Frosty knew about and didn't.  He had no clue about traffic lights, etc... but he seems to be well aware that there's such a thing as a President of the United States.  I realize this is just a 'silly little kids film' but come on, have some consistency of character.
Ephraim seemed to like it, so by children's standards I think it still holds up just fine.  Not sure I ever need to revisit it again myself though.  If you've never seen it... I don't know... your call :)
The DVD we have features a sequel with the voice talents of John Goodman and Elisabeth Moss (way before Mad Men) so I might watch that just based on them being in it. 

1447 - Mad Men: season four

In the age of event television it amazes (and delights) me that Mad Men does so well. Here is a show that is purely a character drama. Sure they have dramatic plots here and there - there are stakes involved, and there are good and bad things that happen. But they don't need to leave us on a huge cliffhanger to make us want to come back - we come back because we love these characters and we want to spend time with them (even some of the characters we may hate - I'm looking at you Betty...).
For me the heart of this series is the relationship between Don and Peggy (how much do I love Elisabeth Moss...). They have this mutual respect for each other that's simply delightful and I can't get enough of it. I could watch an entire series of just them. I've read some complaints that the finale was "nonsensical" and "nothing happened". I say if you really think that, you don't understand a damn thing about what makes this show so special.
I love this series, and I simply can't wait for season five next summer. What a horribly long time to wait...