Hollywood can make any film, no matter how appallingly scripted, no matter how offensive the stereotypes, seem polished. No amount of Hollywood polish, however, can disguise the fact that The Ugly Truth is a flaming turd of a film with barely any redeemable qualities.
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Hoopla Factor: Continue reading The Ugly Truth
The decision to keep things as simple as possible has paid off in spades. At only 64 minutes, the film is a short but sweet introduction to the work of Portugese auteur de Oliveira, and that it has a wonderfully droll sting in its tale is the icing on the cake.
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Continue reading Eccentricities of a Blond Hair Girl
The Proposal bears the burden of expectation built up within fans of the genre during a very serious January and February as well as the commencement of the blockbuster releases in March and April. That it isn’t entirely appalling – in spite of that seeming most likely upon viewing the trailer – is a bonus.
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I was loving this movie. Adoring it, in fact. There was nothing out of the ordinary, it was completely formulaic, but it worked. And then suddenly the final act screwed it all up.
Rating: 
Hoopla Factor: Continue reading The Proposal
One would think that this film would at the very least break some gender stereotypes. Alas, this isn’t the case. At their worst, these two simply play out roles we’ve seen hundreds of times before.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Baby Love
The supporting characters are all amusing though none have any depth, and Zack and Miri’s story isn’t complex enough. Their bumpy journey through love is entirely predictable and a little too simple for my liking.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Seeing ghosts follow Bertram around all day isn’t particularly interesting, and the ghosts themselves are kind of dull and make their appearances at the convenience of the script. It’s the romantic element of the film that works rather well, though.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Ghost Town
The film is passionate in its affirmation of teens and responsibility, but also isn’t afraid to have a little fun. It perhaps goes out of its way to resolve some subplots that would have been better left alone, but that didn’t matter so much when I was grinning like an idiot at the pure fun of it all.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
The film suffers from much the same problem with its midsection as its star and hero – there is just a hint of flab here that detracts from its appeal. The opening and closing sequences are much stronger, however, and it would be a hard soul indeed who didn’t leave this film with a smile on their face.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Empties
The film manages to remain light-hearted while still infusing the urgency felt by those old enough to remember the Great War and their personal losses. This could easily have come across as heavy-handed, but Malluri strikes just the right tone while spotlighting his characters against their background.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
It’s a bit of a crowd pleaser, and Diane Keaton is clearly having fun. I understand that actresses her age have trouble fitting into Hollywood’s fairly age- and gender-biased traditions, but she should really know better.
Rating: Hoopla Factor: Continue reading Smother