I join the CTV NewsChannel to have a look at two new movies in theatres, the romance drama “Reminders of Him” and the horror flick “undertone,” and make some predictions for tonight’s Oscars.
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join “CTV News Toronto at Five” with anchor Zuraidah Alman to talk about new movies in theatres including the music doc “Nash the Slash Rises Again!,” the audio horror of “undertone” and the romantic melodrama of “Reminders of Him.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 14:50)
I sit with Deb Hutton on NewsTalk 1010 to go over some of the week’s biggest entertainment stories and movies playing in theatres. We take out the recycling, talking about Hollywood bringing bac k Conan the Barbarian, John Rambo and Tinkerbell, and I review “Reminders of Him” and “undertone.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to tune a violin. Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the music doc “Nash the Slash Rises Again!,” the audio horror of “undertone” and the romantic melodrama of “Reminders of Him.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “Reminders of Her,” a new romantic drama based on author Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, Maika Monroe stars as a woman who must confronts her past to move forward.
CAST: Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, Lainey Wilson, Lauren Graham, Bradley Whitford. Directed by Vanessa Caswill.
REVIEW: “Reminders of Him” is a Nicholas Sparks style movie for those who find Nicholas Sparks too edgy. Although written by Colleen Hoover and Lauren Levine, it’s a roiling assembly of Sparksisms including forbidden romance, a nearly constructed dream house, kisses in the rain, a journal, a cute kid, a dead soulmate and the chance to start again.
“Reminders of Him’s” story stems from tragedy. “There was before you. There was during you. I never thought there’d be an after you,” Kenna (Maika Monroe) says after her boyfriend Scotty (Rudy Pankow) is killed a terrible drunk driving accident.
Jailed for seven years for her role in his death, she returns to their hometown in hope of reconnecting with their child Diem (Zoe Kosovic), a little girl being raised by Scotty’s parents, Grace (Lauren Graham) and Patrick Landry (Bradley Whitford). “I’m headed back to the place it all went wrong,” she says, “to see if I can get something right.”
She is not welcomed with open arms—“If it wasn’t for her, our son would still be alive,” says Paterick— until former NFL player and local bar owner Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers) offers her a job. “Do you know how to wash dishes,” he asks. “Seven years’ experience,” she replies.
When his compassion turns to romance, their relationship deepens the rift between Kenna and the Landrys, who disapprove of her dating Ledger, Scotty’s former best friend and surrogate father to Diem.
As Ledger is forced to choose between his new love and his loyalty to Diem, Scotty and the Landrys, Kenna faces the hardest decision of her life.
Big issues are raised in “Reminders of Him, not to be explored, but simply to be overcome.
A collection of clichés from the Big Book of Romantic Melodrama, the movie uses Kenna, a traumatized character misunderstood by the Landrys, and her sad eyes, as a vehicle for the story’s overwrought contrivances.
Monroe perseveres, convincingly playing Kenna as a woman picking up the pieces after her life was shattered by death and prison. It’s hard not to root for her and it is that quality that prevents the film from suffocating under an avalanche of sentimentality.
“Reminders of Him” is a sincere-if-slight movie whose romantic tentacles are meant to tug at audience heartstrings, controlling them like marionettes, but instead puppets predictable romantic prosaicisms about redemption and second chances that will remind you of other, better movies.
The facts are thus: Dogs have served in the military since World War I and over three thousand dogs have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is also a sad but true fact that “Max,” a new film starring Thomas Haden Church, Lauren Graham and Carlos as best friend, hero and Marine, Max puts the hole in wholesome.
The family friendly action starts in Iraq where Kyle Wincott (Robbie Amell) is a young, brave Marine, fighting alongside his best friend Tyler (Luke Kleintank) and their beloved bomb sniffing dog Max (Carlos the Dog). Stateside Kyle’s family—Mom (Graham), Dad (Church) and bratty little brother Justin (Josh Wiggins)—stay in touch via Skype and pray for his safe return. When Kyle is killed in action Max and Tyler return. Tyler tries to fit into civilian life but Max has a hard time. Suffering from PTSD—having bonded so closely with Kyle the dog is now at loose ends—and snarls and growls at everyone… except Justin. The Wincotts take the dog in—“This family looks after it’s own,” says Mom.—and Justin, with the help of his dog lover friends tries to rehabilitate Max.
There’s more—teenage romance, betrayal, a gun cartel, bootlegged video games and some good old action adventure—but for the most part “Max” is little more than an episode of “The Littlest Hobo” with slightly higher production value. In fact this may be the “Citizen Kane” of “Littlest Hobo” shows, but make no mistake, the Canadian series about a helpful, ownerless dog did it first and did it better than anything in “Max.” The bungled action scenes and cardboard characters will have you longing for the halcyon days of “Lassie” and “Rin Tin Tin.”
The dog, it must be said, is a pretty actor. Perhaps it’s his large, expressive Bette Davis eyes, or perhaps it’s the general level of incompetence around him, but he comes off well.
“Max” feels like a direct-to-DVD movie that somehow escaped the pound and made it’s way to theatres.
Movies this bad don’t get released… they escape. The story, which picks the bones of everything from Something’s Gotta Give (sans Jack Nicholson) to Fiddler on the Roof, never met a cliché it didn’t love or a situation too hackneyed to be inserted into the mix.
Diane Keaton plays a single mother who raised three beautiful daughters. Her oldest, Maggie (The Gilmour Girls’ Lauren Graham) and middle child Mae (Maggie Mae, get it?) played by Piper “Coyote Ugly” Perabo lead perfect romantic comedy lives—they have great jobs, handsome husbands and seem set to happily ride off into the sunset. That leaves the third daughter, the Cinderella of the bunch, Milly, the quirky daughter who can’t seem to find a man. Mom, fearful that her youngest won’t ever find happiness decides to act as a pimp… er… I mean set her daughter up with a man. Romantic entanglements ensue as Mom chooses a wealthy but emotionally detached architect and Milly falls for a penniless but warm-hearted musician. Who do you think she’ll end up with?
It’s a fairly standard romantic comedy set-up, although, just as The Holiday did last year, has at its core the notion that women cannot be fulfilled unless they have a man in their lives. The idea is that Diane Keaton is a cranky old maid who has given up on any hope of love in her life and she is trying to steer her children away from her fate. It’s an intrinsically misogynist concept that seems to be the basis for more and more romantic comedies these days.
The gender politics of the piece notwithstanding, there isn’t much to like about this movie. The comedy, which often veers into slapstick, falls flat, the story is predictable, the characters right out of central casting. Diane Keaton—it should be noted has been nominated for Best Actress four times and won in 1978 for a truly the great rom com Annie Hall—delivers the worst performance of her long career. Perhaps she stands out so much because the other actors are barely given characters to work with, and thusly blend into the scenery, but her over-the-top shrieky performance brought to mind bad sitcom acting. She makes Bozo the Clown look subtle and nuanced.
Why shouldn’t you go see this movie? I’ll use a running gag from the movie as my answer: “Because I Said So…”
