Tag: Romance

CRAZY EYES (2012)

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Directed By: Adam Sherman 

Written By: Adam Sherman, Dave Reeves and Rachel Hardisty 

Cinematography: Sharone Meir 

Editor: Sam Bauer 

Cast: Lukas Haas, Madeline Zima, Jake Busey, Tania Raymonde, Ray Wise, Valerie Mahaffey, Moran Atias, Ned Bellamy, Laura Piro, Regine Nehy 

Zach is guy for whom the party never ends. But when he meets the girl he nicknames “Crazy Eyes,” the inability to have her, combined with family matters, are signs that his idle life might be due for a change.

This seems like it’s supposed to be a romantic tale. While it has a good cast, by the end you dislike most of the characters.

It can be seen as one man’s journey to find the truth. He’s so unlikeable that it’s hard to truly feel sympathy or feelings for him.

The main character is a trust fund kid. Who is also a player and an alcoholic. Who knows and believes that all around him are only after him to support or pay for them. Which the movie shows to be true for the most part.

The film mainly revolves around his fascination with a woman who goes on dates, makes out with him, and constantly sleeps with him. Though there is no sex involved.

Which he seems to be determined to do. Though not above sleeping with other women while he tries to get her. She is a major drinker herself and seems to have mental problems. Though never clearly defined. They seem to support one another from their bad decisions to the next impulse.

They each have friends that revolve around them. Who are there only to bounce thoughts off of and show they know others who might be worse off than they are. A bartender and lingerie designer. Who seems more interested in the lead to find her dreams and lifestyle.

There is even a character who just seems to be here as eye candy and temptation but doesn’t come too much. As she is just another unlikeable character in the mix. We do get to meet his parents which offers some depth and a bit of an explanation. 

there is a kind of twist by the end that somehow makes all the characters seem worse and justifies the lead somewhat. Though leaves it open-ended as to what has changed if anything in his life. It offers one of the most unfortunately downtrodden and realistic endings. 

If it weren’t for the cast I don’t know if I would have bothered finishing the film. As it seems so far teaching and kind of like a tangent against Los Angeles and its bar culture to a degree. As well as relationships. The film is very misogynistic and angry. Even though it tries to seem laid back.

The directing is all over the place and dark. The lead always wants to go to the bar or for a drink as his come-ons seem a bit much and overbearing. Though while not against drugs his character mainly indulges in alcohol. This film feels like a lighter version of BARFLY. Without any of the charm.

Luckily for a film that seems focused on sex, there is very little of it or any nudity. Though that might be disappointing to some. At least it would serve as a distraction from what we have to sit through. It would also offer a release which this film seems dedicated to not delivering on any of its points. 

What is truly disappointing is the movie has the goods and talent to be a better film but seems like it’s so indulgent that it seems doomed to fail.

One wishes the movie was more about Madeline Zima’s character. 

Grade: D

TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN (2024)

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Directed By: Hannah Marks

Written By: Elizabeth Berger and Issac Aptaker

Based On The Novel By: John Green

Cinematography: Brian Burgoyne 

Editor: Andrea Bottigliero

Cast: Isabela Merced, Cree, Judy Reyes, Felix Mollard, Maliq Johnson, J. Smith-Cameron, Poorna Jagannathan, Tim Gooch, Hannah Marks, Debby Ryan 

Aza Holmes. It’s not easy being Aza, but she’s trying… trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts that she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis, her childhood crush, Aza is confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship, and hope in the face of her mental illness.

A nice coming-of-age story that deals with mental health primarily OCD.

Though at times the film does feel a little wish fulfillment It does feel a bit more real emotionally than some of its peers.

What I really enjoyed is that the film starts off introducing the characters and giving us what looks to be a mystery and investigation and uses it as an introduction to take us on a different journey and a different type of film and story and then kind of bring it back to our initial adventure that closure but also further the other story that was in the middle.

It’s refreshing that all of these issues and drama are tackled with a cast. That is the verse, but the main characters are mostly of Hispanic origin so there are more people of color within this film.

One thing I have to credit is that this film is based on the book by John Green and I have not read this book. I have seen most of the film adaptations of his books and each one while summer better than the others. They have all been heart-wrenching and heartbreaking and well done and I feel it because his books are a wealth of material that is easily identifiable and have an everlasting ring of truth in tragedy is still uplifting and romantic.

One has to give Director Hannah Marks great as she is an actress and Director, and for someone so young has knocked it out of the park with the films that she has directed usually our stories are always so well acted quirky, and memorable that she is a great talent that deserves to recognize more.

No, it does show that maybe I’m getting older as the lead character’s best friend I found it continuously annoying and was glad half the time when she wasn’t in scenes, but by the end, her character is so so endearing that I couldn’t imagine the film without her character without her.

As these films used to be catnip for me, and I used to be one of the first people, crying and being emotional over these films and while it still gets to a part of me, I don’t find myself as emotionally invested as I used to. I still these types of films. 

What I appreciate is that there was no big cure at the end there’s an ending that works, but there’s also the truth about the condition and the characters in that it may never be solved. Simply, you have to keep living your life and deal with it as it comes.

It’s also the first time that maybe I’ve noticed where a romantic comedy kind of looks at the male love interest through a female gaze as they’re not the center of the story, but more towards the side and are unbelievably helpful and good-looking and are there to provide moral support and the film goes out of its way to make them just the perfect love interest for the character where they’re tall their good looking they’re rich they give them what any woman would want. 

The only thing in the way is the female character and confidence. So the male here is more in the role of the dream partner in the flesh and willing and waiting. While only having eyes for them.

Grade: B

THE MAIN EVENT (1979)

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Directed By: Howard Zieff 

Written By: Gail Parent and Andrew Smith 

Cinematography: Mario Tosi 

Editor: Edward Warschilka 

Cast: Barbara Streisand, Ryan O’Neal, Paul Sand, Whitman Mayo, Patti D’Arbanville, Richard Lawson, Chu Chu Malave, James Gregory, Earl Boen

A bankrupt entrepreneur attempts to recoup some of her losses by getting a washed-out boxer she picked up as a tax loss back into the ring – an idea her protégé isn’t fond of.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a huge Barbra Streisand fan of music and movies, though I have to say this film is a major dud. 

As it is so by the numbers and feels or put together by a studio, looking to make a star film rather than a film. That reason Streisand usually stars in more romantic films, She just needs to find the right leading man, and the film, or at least the chemistry will entertain and and practically write itself.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen as Ryan O’Neal her leading man is never believable as a boxer. He can be quite charming and isn’t a bad romantic lead. He’s not a strong one either it doesn’t help that the two have no chemistry.

It doesn’t help that he comes across as prettier and more of a primadonna than she does in the film. who could have been used to comedic effect and helped the movie. Unfortunately, it’s never acknowledged or used. 

The film isn’t even basic. It’s just disappointing where the most memorable thing is Miss Streisand‘s distracting hairdo which seems to look like an Afro. That makes her appear more clownish.

The film even has an inventive introduction for her character, using her profile which she is known physically at the time

The film is never quite believable and not really funny. Despite the many jokes used

The film tries to feel like a 1940s-type romantic comedy of backing forth to find success when there are plenty of challenges, but by 1979 the film comes across as two chased in lightweight. A wanna be Tracy-Hepburn-type film

The film was made. Wow, Barbra Streisand was dating her manager John Peters and it seemed when they made films together. She went from working with classic directors of yesteryear. To more modern upstarts, who didn’t have as much gravitas or flare who are easier to control, even if they had notable credits beforehand. It seems to be the same route Jennifer Lopez the actress and singer was trying to emulate.

The film is lightweight and instantly forgettable, never develops a rhythm, and becomes quite boring very fast. The stars of the film never seem to have any hard-fought victories. Everything falls into their lap with the least amount of ambition or work. 

GRADE: D

FOUR SAMOSAS (2022)

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Written & Directed By: Ravi Kapoor

Cinematography: Akashi Raj 

Editor: Anisha Acharya 

Cast: Venk Potura, Sonal Shah, Sharmita Bhattacharya, Nirvan Patniak, Sujata Day, Karan Soni, Summer Bishil, Maya Kapoor, Ravi Kapoor 

An unmotivated South Asian American rapper, along with three other first-time thieves, plans a heist on a grocery store owned by his ex-girlfriend’s father, in order to steal her wedding diamonds and disrupt her pending engagement.

This film is inspired by or in the same style as a Wes Anderson film with a little NAPOLEON DYNAMITE mixed in, only set in a South Asian community in a small town. 

It maintains a dry deadpan goofy innocent humor and comedic antics throughout. As the film takes a look at a community yet stays ridiculous and pure throughout.

It manages to make a small town feel epic with so little. Exposing its own universe and still being a bit romantic. Even as it maintains pretty low steaks and feels more character-based than plot-based.

The film has its own charms that retain a sweetness to it all. 

Just like BOTTLE ROCKET, it revolves around a ridiculous heist that exposes their neurosis and gives them a chance to run away from their own individual problems Or dilemmas and bonds them more but also exposes that they need to move on with their lives.

But they are so likable you want to see them have more adventures and see how they grow and change though hope they don’t at their core 

Grade: B 

A FAMILY AFFAIR (2024)

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Directed By: Richard LaGravenese

Written By: Carrie Solomon

Cinematography: Don Burgess 

Editor: Melissa Bretherton 

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King, Kathy Bates, Sherry Cola, Liza Koshy, Sarah Baskin, Olivia Macklin, Wes Jetton, Ian Gregg 

An unexpected romance triggers comic consequences for a young woman, her mother, and her boss, grappling with the complications of love, sex, and identity.

I won’t lie if this had made it to a movie theater it probably would’ve turned a decent profit as it is intriguing enough. Even if it’s a basic Hallmark type of story. It has the element of a younger man, falling for an older woman, and both of them are ridiculously successful and good-looking. So of course, this movie is obviously identifiable for the audience, with its feel-good ending.

Neither the film nor the filmmakers really add anything to set it apart, other than having two big stars in the lead recognizable actors throughout the film. 

Joey gives her all and she saves this film overall with her energy and comedic timing.

Everything else throughout this film is predictable and basic, not even in a quirky to present things differently.

Even the supporting characters aren’t really characters they’re just standings for the leads to either talk to or complain to, and then at some point or given a little bit of in her life when it’s time for the characters to realize that other things are more important in the world.

It’s hard to really get into a film that is just out-and-out pure Hollywood where everyone is pretty successful and even the people in their 20s who should be struggling seem not that battle and everyone is picture perfect pretty or attractive and there’s no real heavy drama I understand it’s meant to be a romantic fantasy feel-good comedy and if you are in the audience and want This film will be good for you.

It just seems like the typical Netflix movie where they are more concerned with getting star names in the project and then seem to worry about the script if at all later and when it comes, you’re probably not going to get any good quality, but if you’re comfortable with the Hollywood films of yesteryear you’ll get it here but not with any flex of imagination.

As there are no surprises and even the hint that there will be sex and or nudity in the trailer is quickly flirted with an abandoned. By the end of the film, this is not believable, but a perfect fantasy for some audiences to get lost in.

Now one will admit this is my type of film and the only thing that made me want to watch it. It was again the comedic antics it seemed of Joey King in the trailer.

The biggest shock came when noted Screenwriter Richard LaGravenese directed this film though did not write it. He has written and definitely directed better films than this. Even if romantic comedy and drama do usually fall into his wheelhouse.

Grade: D+

ANYONE BUT YOU (2023)

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Directed By: Will Gluck 

Written By: Will Gluck and Ilana Wolpert 

Story By: Ilana Wolpert 

Cinematography: Danny Ruhlmann

Editor: Kim Boritz-Brehm and Tia Nolan

Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glenn Powell, Gata, Alexandra Shipp, Charlee Fraser, Bryan Brown, Dermont Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Joe Davidson, Darren Barnet 

After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben’s fiery attraction turns ice-cold–until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.

A sexier romantic comedy that plays like a sex comedy. Only lacking any truly carnal action, but flirts around with it, In a more innocent manner.

The whole movie is of course a will they or won’t they. Where they feel like they are fooling their friends and their friends feel like they have the upper hand over them.

The film tries to breathe life into a tired staple or genre. The results aren’t terrible. As the film stays entertaining fluff. That you will forget about soon after watching. 

It is a bunch of beautiful people in impossibly lush locations and privilege-loving fantasy lives. So it plays like a fantasy for the audience. 

the film keeps trying to make Sydney Sweeney into a more physical comedian and less an object of desire but never goes fully into quite embarrassing humor or anything truly juvenile. 

Luckily the movie focuses more on the comedy and less on the romance until it is needed. 

Hollywood keeps moving Glen Powell into being a star for good reason. As he is a movie star handsome and charming. Though you might find yourself obsessing about his hair throughout as it is usually perfect and never movies but doesn’t look stiff. 

It’s an across-the-board film as it is diverse and includes every kind of demographic a mainstream film could aim for. 

It’s nice to see Bryan Brown and Rachel Griffiths on the screen again and clearly having fun Even if the movie casting seems all over the place. Though definitely filming in Australia as most of the supporting cast seem to be natives and we see all the popular sights. 

Not to mention while you can understand Powell’s character being tempted by his ex. Played by Charlee Fraser, As she is gorgeous and it’s flattering she needed such a good-looking guy to replace him and get over him. Sydney Sweeney’s ex in the film played by Darren Barnet is there in appearance but gets nothing to do or any real character Arc. Really he’s the only character who really has nothing to do but is just there. 

This seems like the movie the Justin Timberlake movie FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS was supposed to be, only here the leads are likable and insistent like it is chasing any trends or trying to be cool. Instead, this movie just remembers to be sexy. 

This seems a starter movie for both the stars here, trying to see how much box office power they have with them as the main stars.

Grade: C

CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL (2001)

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Directed By: John Stockwell 

Written By: Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi 

Cinematography: Shane Hurlbut 

Editor: Melissa Kant 

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Jay Hernandez, Taryn Manning, Bruce Davison, Herman Osorio, Lucinda Jenney, Miguel Castro, Richard Steinmetz, Tommy De La Cruz, Cory Hardict, Keram Malicki-Sanchez

Carlos Nunez, is a poor but athletically gifted Latino teenager who endures a two-hour bus ride every day from East L.A. to attend the posh, wealthy Pacific Palisades High School in Los Angeles on a football scholarship. A straight-A student, Carlos is focused and driven, but his future is cast in doubt when he becomes the flirtation target of a spoiled, self-destructive bad girl Nicole Oakley, who’s the daughter of a prominent congressman. When his friends, family, and even Nicole’s own father oppose the romance for Carlos’ sake, he chooses to ignore their advice and stubbornly pursues his relationship with Nicole, whose feelings grow from simple physical attraction to something much deeper.

This is the movie in my teen years I was hoping the Drew Barrymore film MAD LOVE was going to be.

At the time this film was a rare interracial romance, where it seems to be downplayed, but then becomes a kind of class difference with a switch whereas the Hispanic character is the more responsible and stable with a rich family life, and is well respected 

Whereas Kirsten Dunst’s character is a mess who might be good-hearted and is an addict with mental problems and a family that isn’t close but has money 

With this film, Kirsten Dunst is trying to be more professional and take on a dangerous and challenging role. The kind that she was usually offered at the time was more cookie-cutter. This role is the one that Disney stars try to do to be seen as more adult and be seen in a different way allowing them to show range. 

The film isn’t original but keeps your interest as not only a teen romance but a romantic story that has dramatic deaths and comes across better than you probably would expect.

It helps that you like, and admire both lead actors and their characters, and they do have solid chemistry, and they get you to care about both of them.

Happily found trays the minority character as more of a positive and Caucasian character trouble, and the one might end the future of the other. Everyone agrees that he is too good for her.

One appreciates the film, even though Kirsten as a star who was the bigger star. The film and script explore Jay  Hernandez’s character and family ties. just as much as it does hers. Showing atmosphere family, culture, and surroundings can affect a person. 

One admires that he tries to be deeper than just a stereotypical teen romance.  it offers some depth. As it shows a shocking amount of heart throughout. 

The film takes you back to when these movies would actually make it to theaters and not be some offshoot of a streaming channel. 

Grade: B- 

MELODY (1971)

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Directed By: Waris Hussein

Written By: Alan Parker

Cinematography: Peter Suschitzky

Editor: John Victor Smith

Cast: Mark Lester, Jack Wild, Tracy Hyde, Roy Kinnear, James Cossins, June Ellis, Tim Wylton, Colin Barrie, Billy Franks, Ashley Knight

Two youngsters declare to their parents that they want to get married. Not sometime in the future but as soon as possible. The story is told from the children’s point of view.

This is a film that was hard to find and wanted to see it since hearing about it. when it was suggested as a companion to films like A LITTLE ROMANCE and BUGSY MALONE, especially the latter, as these films share the Director, the great Alan Parker, who directed BUGSY MALONE, but wrote, and came up with the story for this film. He wasn’t allowed to direct this film though he wanted to but did shoot a bit of a second unit on the film. 

The film offers a narrative that allows kids to be more rebellious, troublesome, rough, but still likable where kids could actually run the risk of hurting themselves or getting hurt, but you never really worried about it because you knew they would bounce back.

Order finally titled S.W.A.L.K. (Sealed With A Loving Kiss) it takes to look at childhood and shows you all the heartbreak and pain but more of the joys and treats each misstep as it feels crushing, but also how quickly things can turn around and bounce back

It’s a coming-of-age tale that while whimsical also feels very true and charming to the cast and the period and kids at that age. as the film isn’t whitewashed or manufactured, nor do the characters feel overprotected, though they obviously are safe.

The film is mostly innocent. It’s also rambunctious with an abundance, score, and soundtrack, full of songs, not a musical as at heart it is about love at first sight. And first love.

It maintains an innocence, as well as exploring, budding, friendship, and bonding, and how jealousy can come into play when it feels like you’re losing that friend’s degree to their new bond girl in his life that leaves the friend lonely in an orphan, feeling forgotten.

It also shows them both being made fun of for their love and wanting to be happy with one another in which the adult seem to think it’s cute, but also rally against it and don’t believe in their feelings and emotions.

it also allows the kids to be kids, but have recognizable human emotions and treats them even more seriously than it does the adult characters so the film respects them maybe because they can be more honest at their age and still have that wondrous vision of the world and everything before becoming more knowledgeable as an adult and not being as openhearted.

The film feels kind of like an early prototype less star-studied version of MOONRISE KINGDOM

 as you can tell Director, Wes Anderson has definitely been inspired by this film. The film might also remind some viewers of the Francois Truffaut film, SMALL CHANGE, where a narrative and story are secondary to feelings and the young characters. And the reality that is all around them.

The film is about moments, with no real plot or story, though it does offer a certain explosion of maturity and a strike against the adults that almost feels like a game.

The film offers a sweet and mischievous ending.

While I didn’t love it as much as I expected it to I think it is still charming and will enjoy it as a kind of artistic family film.

Grace: B

SPACEMAN (2024)

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Directed By: Johan Renck

Written By: Colby Day

Based on The Book “Spaceman Of Bohemia” By Jaroslav Kalfar

Cinematography: Jakob Ihre 

Editor: John Axelrod, Scott Cummings, and Simon Smith 

Cast: Adam Sandler, Paul Dano, Carey Mulligan, Kunal Nayyar, Isabella Rosellini, Lena Olin, Marian Roden, Zuzona Stivinova, Petr Papanek, John Flanders

As an astronaut sent to the edge of the solar system to collect mysterious ancient dust finds his earthly life falling to pieces, he turns to the only voice that can help him try to put it back together. It just so happens to belong to a creature from the beginning of time lurking in the shadows of his ship.

This is an existential journey, a type of film that deals with loneliness and depression, and even though it takes place in outer space, it’s more about an inner journey than anything else.

So if you’re gonna do a movie that is practically mostly almost a one-man show where you spend time with the lead you’re going to want to cast an entertainer who here is trying to be more of a dramatic actor, but is definitely someone you know the audience is a fan of and identifies with Who they won’t mind spending time with throughout, even if he is not offering his usual type of performance.

Most are coming to this film for its star to see him in a different type of role, more dramatic than he takes from time to time, and not as rarely as before. 

The film like the character sounds downtrodden throughout 

Technically an art film is not bad and is actually impressive. It has plenty of artistic flourishes among the mundane story as the effects are, but this feels more like a Spotlight more focused on the character and his story. 

The film is about heart, but it feels like it lacks it, though Carey Mulligan seems to be the heart of the film and of the character’s existence, they are mainly kept apart most of the film.

As her character stays somewhat unsupported by him. The main problem with the film is that his character seems to be the same from beginning to end, even in the flashback so since she seems to be more lively, we never quite are sure why she fell for him, even though she explains it, but we never quite see it. so that this love story or romance kind of makes no sense as even when we see old pictures of them, it looks awkward and uncomfortable

The film might have been more noteworthy before streaming as it definitely would have probably made it to theaters with high hopes here it just seems like a regular expensive experiment or his yearly release through Netflix, focusing less on his usual type of comedies, yet still rocking his production companies, side project comedies. Shaking it up a bit with films like this.

The film is not as effective as it should be or tries to be it has good, technical filmmaking. It’s very meditative and slow as we live through his trauma

Love the cast, Carey Mulligan, Lena Olin, and Isabella Rossellini, who finally gets a role that is more than a minor one scene, the appearance of Kunal Nayyer. One just wishes they had more to do and a project that utilizes their talents more.

Nothing in particular makes this film noteworthy for all its peculiarities. It still feels oddly familiar as it is never quite warm, even when it wants you to feel something.

The one that makes the film and the characters come alive is a memory of a date at a public swimming pool.

Maybe if the film was more independent production, it would mean more as a project of passion to put all of a vision into, and it would feel like maybe a story that needed to be told. Here it comes across as entertainment that wants to have depth.

The second half of the film offers more heart. The film strives to be philosophical and romantic at heart. And after spending so much time, watching the film. You kind of surrender yourself to its charms, like Stockholm syndrome to make it feel like it was all worth it.

By the end In the film you can identify with him, but never quite feel anything. You wonder Is that the point?

Grade: C+

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE (2024)

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Directed By: Mark Waters 

Written By: Robin Bernheim

Cinematography: Ed Wu

Editor: Travis Sittard 

Cast: Brooke Shields, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Sean Teale, Chad Michael Murray, Rachael Harris, Michael McDonald, Wilson Cruz, Tasneek Roc, Dalip Sondhi 

Lana’s daughter Emma returns from London and announces that she’s getting married next month. Things become more complicated when Lana learns that the man who stole Emma’s heart is the son of the man who broke her years ago.

This is pretty much romance novel, a romantic comedy for an older audience as it shows. It’s never too late to find love. 

This tale starts out seeming like it’s for a younger audience. It slowly reveals itself to be more of a romance for the parents or the Older Crowd.

It’s nice to see many familiar faces amongst the cast who are clearly enjoying themselves. so that you can’t help but feel comfortable with the cast and characters. The film still feels a bit slight but then again I’m not the audience for this film. 

follow the formula of romantic comedies, seemingly to be aimed at older characters. I don’t know if it’s because feels like the air of Romantic comedy came and went and while there is an audience for it, it’s only the audience that was a fan of those movies in the 90s and 2000s, who are around the age of the characters in this movie?

Watching this film, you’re not going to see this for the filmmaking or the script you know what exactly is going to happen so you just sit there and wait for it or see how it’s going to happen on this beautiful foreign island with beautiful characters surrounded by nothing but opulence and money so that it is a fantasy come true.

The characters might seem ungrateful and annoying as mishaps happen throughout. As this is a film nothing offensive really happens and it feels like a more cinematic hallmark movie. As it has various cultures throughout and representation of most.

That is all positivity and hope and the problems that are brought up. Seems so minor that you wonder why the characters are making mountains out of molehills.

this is a pretty simple film and I believe you will enjoy it as long as you go with it and you will know if you’re a fan just by either watching the trailer or reading the synopsis because what you see is what you get with this movie.

Directed by Mark Waters, who also made the original MEAN GIRLS movie. He knows the territory. He knows the genre and he makes everything pretty and everyone looks amazing.

Grade: C-