FilmFlashes.com Blog

Bored married couple (Steve Carell & Tina Fey) do their weekly date night with wild and crazy results after they are mistaken for a husband and wife team that has stolen “mob” money.  This contrived concoction does have its sweet spot as “issues” arise and are resolved between the believable husband and wife.

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Manhattanites, Kate (Catherine Keener) and her husband Alex (Oliver Platt) divide their time between buying up estate sales, interacting with their elderly neighbor (Ann Morgan Guilbert) and her two dramatically different granddaughters/heirs, Mary and Rebecca (Amanda Peet and Rebecca Hall) and trying to be proper parents to their 15-year-old, needy but independent daughter. Commendable performances and [...]

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This copy of the 2007 film is just that and is equally entertaining with heavy handed humor delivered by Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence, playing brothers who resolve their own differences in the course of dealing with upsetting information about dad, at his funeral.

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The Rizzo family secrets are bountifully entertaining due in large part to the great casting (Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Ezra Miller, Dominik García-Lorido, Emily Mortimer) and the scenic locale (City Island).

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While a bounty hunter (Gerard Butler) is chasing his ex-wife (Jennifer Aniston) on a warrant, she is in hot pursuit of a journalistic scoop implicating bad cops in this lame comedy.

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Is it possible that a really hot event planner (Alice Eve) could fall for a scrawny TSA security screener (Jay Baruchel) after a brief encounter at the Pittsburgh airport?

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Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and some savory culinary creations more than compensate for a waffling story line (ex-spouses having an affair) that generates laughs in spite of it’s composition.

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A roving employee terminator Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is forced to change his flight patterns when his company mandates his mentoring of a new ivy league junior executive Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) just as he’s beginning to enjoy the company of another frequent flyer   Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga).

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Infidelity, academic tenure, undisciplined children, family dyfunctionality and spiritual searches for answers to universal questions become the focus of the latest Coen brothers dark comedy set in 1967 suburbia.  Michael Stuhlbarg, embodies the role of the mid-western University professor who becomes victimized by his daily routine and outlook with strong supporting roles by Sari Lennick [...]

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  A baritoned narrator chronicles 500 days in the life of aspiring architect, current day greeting card writer, Tom Hanson (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and the object of his affection, Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel).

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  Writer/director, Neil Blomkamp’s creepy alien creatures have become a blot on the present day Johannesburg landscape on which their spaceship landed two decades earlier.  A naive bureaucrat (Sharlto Copley) is assigned to spearhead the eviction and transfer the two million “prawn” population, totally unprepared for the mental and physical mutation that awaits him.   A [...]

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A hard-hearted editor (Sandra Bullock) engages her hard-working assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to put in overtime on a scheme that will prevent her deportation to her native Canada.  While the plot holds few surprises, a warm emotive cast boosts ratings and happy feelings throughout (Betty White, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T Nelson, Oscar Nunez).

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When Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) gets his wish to relive a pivotal point as a high school senior, it’s not exactly what he wished for. Instead of going back in time, he (Zac Efron) is plopped into real time with his geek friend (Thomas Lennon) posing as dad to enroll him in high school where [...]

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An easygoing real estate agent (Paul Rudd) feels compelled to find a best friend when his fiancee (Rashida Jones) notices that he doesn’t have any male friends to fill the role of “best man” at their upcoming wedding.  What could have been sappy, turns out to be sweet and sassy thanks to the characters’ charisma and [...]

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The latest installment in the Tyler Perry franchise features amusing confrontations (including a frustrated Dr. Phil) with the anger management deficient Madea (Tyler Perry) and her clan. The humor offsets the serious relationship issues that are tackled amongst a group of young attorneys (Derek Luke, Ion Overman, RonReaco Lee) working their way up [...]

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A former high school cheerleader (Amy Adams) is now working as a maid, raising a son (Jason Spevack) and carrying on an affair with a her high school boyfriend (Steve Zahn), while trying to be supportive of her dysfunctional father (Alan Arkin) and sister (Emily Blunt). When a new business opportunity emerges, it provides [...]

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Compatible star-power (Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connolly, Scarlett Johansson, Ginnifer Goodwin, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Connelly, and  Justin Long) helps to propel the misguided relationships in this introspective narrated comedy.

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An amusing romantic comedy that links an engaging “shopaholic” (Isla Fisher) with a charming magazine editor (Hugh Dancy) disintegrates into drivel faster than you can say “maxed out”.

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The challenge for Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin) in the second investigative installment is to capture the thief who is stealing historical relics, including the famed Pink Panther diamond. Minimal expectations are met due to the comic chemistry of the co-stars (Andy Garcia, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Alfred Molina, Yuki Matsuzaki, Aishwarya Rai, John [...]

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While it helps to have a taste for Jim Carrey’s facial twitches and physical humor, there is a wider audience appeal to this comedy that explores the joys and pitfalls of extreme affirmation. While Carrey is the main attraction, Terence Stamp puts in a memorable appearance as the mastermind of the “Power of [...]

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The Vuillards come together for the Christmas holiday to dig up old sibling rivalries, exhibit their psychosis, and support their mother (Catherine Deneuve) in her search for a bone marrow transplant. Depending upon your taste for French cinema, you will either become enthralled with the personalities and mannerism of the group surrounding [...]

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As Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), a “slumdog” from Mumbai is poised to win 20 million rupees on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” police officers (Saurabh Shukla and Irfan Khan) launch into a brutal interrogation based on suspicions that Jamal is cheating. Director Danny Boyle pairs up with Loveleen Tandan [...]

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Platonic roommates Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are behind on rent and utilities and determine that producing a porn video is the best way to raise cash quickly. Depending upon your tolerance for toilet humor, you’ll find more than a few laughs in Kevin Smith’s new comedy that mixes business, friendship, fun, [...]

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Anyone who has been watching the political scene over the last 8 years knows what the issues are and shouldn’t rely on Oliver Stone’s latest project to illuminate or expand comprehension. However it is interesting to see how well the actors conform to the their real life counterpart; Josh Brolin, as George W. Bush, [...]

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Bill Maher thrashes through his own views on organized religion, via various interviews showcasing odd ball representative of mainstream and extreme religions.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of Religulous.

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Aunt Viv’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) pampered pooch, Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore) gets a reality check when she strays South of the Border and mixes with mixed-breeds. It’s easy to suspend disbelief with excellent dog trainers guiding the facial expressions and body language matched to sound bites from the likes of Barrymore, Andy Garcia, [...]

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Prolific, British writer/director, Mike Leigh explores the half-full/half-empty take on life with eternally upbeat, Poppy (Sally Hawkins).  Poppy is bent on making lemonade out of lemons; whether it’s a confrontation with a dour store clerk, an uptight driving instructor (Eddie Marsan), or a fiery flamenco teacher (Karina Fernandez).  Guaranteed to lift your spirits, or [...]

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A curmudgeonly dentist (Ricky Gervais) must start socializing in order to halt a hoard of not-quite-dead people who are hounding him for help. While the presentation is not the most clever or engaging you’ve ever seen, Ricky Gervais is perfect for the part and interacting with Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni keeps you laughing, [...]

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Diane English’s Sex and the City caliber remake of Cukor’s 1939 classic, is not a total let-down, courtesy of comedy veterans, Candice Bergen, Bette Midler, and Cloris Leachman. Forced dialogue and fake camaraderie are the hallmarks of this chatty female film featuring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Eva [...]

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Wacky characters take center stage in the latest Coen Brothers production centering around two Washington D.C. gym employees who try to capitalize on a found computer disc that may contain sensitive data. Brad Pitt is so “in character”, he steals the show, no easy feat considering the quality of his co-stars, Frances [...]

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In 1976, before everyone who drank wine was bottling it, California wines had to prove their vintage in a blind taste test in Paris. A seventies score, hip connoisseurs (Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Dennis Farina) and up-and-comers (Chris Pine, Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez) combine to re-create the California experience, worth sampling.
Please share your [...]

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Shelley Darlingson (Anna Faris) moves from her carefree quarters at the Playboy mansion to a geek-infested sorority house, due to events beyond her control. Overly caricatured collegiates spouting vapid verse gives way to the occasional chuckle, though most of the laughs are a “can this really be
that stupid” reaction.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes [...]

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Ben Stiller’s over the top Vietnam War spoof utilizes the comedic talents of himself (Stiller) as the Ramboesque hero whose sequels are past their prime, Robert Downey Jr. as an Australian actor who goes deep into his African American character, Brandon T. Jackson as Alpa Chino, rapper/promoter for an energy drink called “Booty [...]

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  Popular Czech writer/director, Jiri Menzel adapts Bohumil Hrabal’s quirky profile of waiter/aspiring millionaire, Jan Dite played by Ivan Barnev (the charming younger Jan) and Oldrich Kaiser (older reflective Jan).  The characters, including a plethora of beautiful women, flow through the film  during, before, and after the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, providing a uniquely entertaining backdrop for Jan’s random [...]

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With attractive characters Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson, and Rebecca Hall entwined in a beautiful romantic city (Barcelona), speaking Woody Allen’s witty sarcasm…who needs a storyline
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

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This spoof on the electoral process gets strong approval ratings with bipartisan jabs well aimed at campaign managers (Nathan Lane and Stanley Tucci) who push their candidates (Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Hopper) to new lows in order to sway the single voter (Kevin Costner) who will decide the Presidential election. Even non-Costner fans will [...]

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What’s a parent to do with a 40 year-old son still living at home and behaving like a 10 year old?  Not much; hence the predicament. But when a divorced mom (Mary Steenburgen) falls for a charismatic widower (Richard Jenkins) their respective sons (Will Ferrell & Jon C. Reilly) are forced to take responsibility [...]

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Meryl Streep truly is the “dancing queen” in the film version of the popular musical. Flamboyant gal pals (Julie Walters and Christine Baranski), a lovely daughter (Amanda Seyfried) about to be married on a breathtaking Greek Island, three possible dads (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth & Stellan Skarsgård) invited to give the bride away, and an [...]

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Four fast friends (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon) coming into their 40’s deal with matters of love, marriage, and fidelity in the course of numerous wardrobe changes. Fans of the TV show love it.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of Sex In The City.

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Steve Carell is a credible Maxwell Smart, the clumsy analyst for CONTROL who is promoted to partner with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) after headquarters security is compromised. Alan Arkin as The Chief, Dwayne Johnson as star Agent 23, and Terrance Stamp as the evil KAOS leader lend their talents to provide an amusing episode [...]

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