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Flash Movie Review: Bros
FOR THOSE WHO KNOW ME, THEY know how much I like to try a new product or be the first to experience something new. I cannot tell you how many world premieres I attended because I wanted to see what all the excitement was about. There is something about seeing, let us say, a new theater production that I especially enjoy because if it goes to Broadway and becomes a success, I can say I saw it first. When it comes to food products, if they fit into my daily dietary intake then I will always try them at least once. Recently there was introduced a flavored drink at the grocery store that had a mix of cola and coffee. I am not a coffee drinker; but I must tell you I enjoyed the drink so much, that I later bought more of them to serve at a dinner party. Friends of mine are never surprised when I bring out some new item that I picked up at the store, so we can all do a taste test. My classes were always appreciative when I would update and critique the latest food products. Maybe it is part of my nature, to offer my opinion/view on something, that motivates me to experience something before others spend their time and money on it. WITH TODAY’S MOVIE CHOICE, THERE HAS been plenty of “buzz” about this film. It is the first gay, romantic comedy that was made by a large, mainstream movie studio. I think that is great, but there is a part of me that wishes we, as a society, can get past having to use labels as adjectives. It is like when someone is talking about a friend and says “my gay friend” or “my straight friend;” what difference does it make? The same holds true for those who say my Asian or Black friend; I feel all one needs to say is, “friend.” There was a couple I knew who when they married caused controversy in their families because they were different faiths. My feelings boil down to this simple saying I try to live by: Love is love. If someone can, at some point in their life, express their love for someone, then I feel they have achieved one of the highest honors for being a human being. I do not care if the person you love is gay, straight, trans, Spanish, Muslim, atheist, native American and so on as long as there is love and respect then I am happy for you. With this in mind, I was curious to see what would take place in this film directed by Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Neighbors franchise). IT WAS TOUGH ENOUGH TO MEET people who had commitment issues; but what were the chances if they were out of your league? With Billy Eichner (Noelle, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising) as Bobby, Luke Macfarlane (The Night Shift-TV, Brothers & Sisters-TV) as Aaron, Guy Branum (The Mindy Project-TV, Black Box-TV) as Henry, Miss Lawrence (The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Star-TV) as Wanda and Dot-Marie Jones (Glee-TV, Greener Grass) as Cherry; I appreciated the amount of effort that went into this production. The cultural references, the spot-on predicaments and the cameos were great; however, I thought the script lacked depth. The only character I found with any emotional depth was Aaron. The Billy character was bland and if he was not that then he was annoying. I have heard news that straight people are staying away from this film because the focus is about gay people. Maybe that is true; however, if a film is funny and relatable then I do not think it should make a difference. This picture had its moments, but I did not find it that funny or fresh.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Every Day
It is impossible to control those things that are out of our control. This took me a long time to learn, yet periodically I still try. I came to this realization when I started my yoga studies. Prior to them, each morning I would get angry while I was stuck in traffic on the way to work. There was nothing I could do about it, though I did come up with some creative ideas on how to eliminate the cars around me. From my studies I finally made the connection that day after day I was using up my energy to get angry at something that was out of my control. I still sit in traffic every day but I stay relaxed, listening to music now. In this dramedy we got an honest portrayal of the daily challenges in a family’s life. Liev Schreiber (Salt, Defiance) and Helen Hunt (The Sessions, Twister) played married couple Ned and Jeanne. The two began to experience their daily lives veering out of control when Jeanne’s cantankerous father Ernie, played by Brian Dennehy (First Blood, Romeo + Juliet), came to live with them. At the same time their gay son Jonah, played by Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Perks of Being a Wallflower), announced he wanted to attend the school’s prom. I thought the fine acting sold the majority of the multiple story lines. What did not work for me was Ned’s office. His boss Garrett’s, played by Eddie Izzard (Ocean’s Thirteen, The Cat’s Meow), extreme requests seemed too outrageous. If Eddie’s character was supposed to represent a commentary on reality television, it was lost on me. The topics of elder care and acceptance would have been enough to make a strong story. Adding the other issues, though valid in the real world, only bogged down the pacing in this film. In addition, I believe this caused the ending to be weak. I would have preferred the writers took a couple of issues and dug deeper into them. The movie kept my interest; there was no need to get angry over its flaws. Besides, there was nothing I could do about it anyway.
2 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: La Mission
In the Latin community, so I have been told, the males need to be machismo, manly. I do not buy that, but I am aware that there is a strong focus on being a family. We can all assume that when a child is brought into this world, whatever their parents’ backgrounds, they will love their child unconditionally. If only that were really true. I have witnessed the horror of a child being kicked out of the house by their parents, because they announced they were gay. These parents only loved him as long as they believed he was straight. What made this situation worse was how the parents had nothing to do with him from that day on…until they found out years later how successful their son had become in the business world. Then all of a sudden they tried re-establishing a relationship with him. For these reasons, I was intrigued when I saw the trailer for this movie. In the mission district of San Francisco lived Che Rivera, played by Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality, Law & Order-TV). He was an ex-con, recovering alcoholic and a single dad. Respected by some, feared by others; Che’s world spun out of control when he discovered his son Jes, played by Jeremy Ray Valdez (Constantine, All She Can), was gay. Though this story can and has played out in many ways, I felt having the setting take place in a hyper masculine, Hispanic neighborhood gave the conflicts more intensity. Benjamin and Jeremy did a wonderful job of acting, in spite of several undeveloped scenes. Even if I had never known about my friend’s parents, I would have still found this dramatic film to be a truthful story. In my world, love is either an all or nothing proposition.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
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