Aloha (5/10): The incoherent plot is almost saved by its feel good ending.

"You sold your soul so many times, nobody's buying anymore.”

The final 20 minutes of Aloha completely feel like a Cameron Crowe movie since it ties everything up neatly without being overly cheesy. It still is sentimental and has a couple of quotable lines, especially in a scene where Rachel McAdams is reading a letter from her husband. It also has some funny moments, my favorite being the scene in which Bradley Cooper and John Krasinski stare at each other understanding what the other is saying without speaking a single word (but we get to read the subtitles and it is a hilarious scene). Aloha ended in a rather strong note for me, but unfortunately the film is 105 minutes long and the first two thirds of the film make very little sense. The introduction of every character in this movie is done in such a rushed way that none of them feel authentic or interesting. The plot is a mess and it is all over the place at times so I agree with all the hate the film is receiving, but I honestly don’t know how Crowe managed to engage me in those final 20 minutes considering I didn’t care for these characters or their story, so I will give him some credit for at least ending Aloha on a strong note. At the beginning of every year, I make a list of my most anticipated films and Aloha was one of the top 10 movies I was looking forward to basically because I’m a Cameron Crowe fan and have enjoyed all his previous movies (I defended his lesser films: We Bought a Zoo and Elizabethtown, which I was a strong fan of). It also didn’t hurt that he had a wonderful cast to work with: Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, Emma Stone, Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, and Alec Baldwin. And to top it off Crowe was setting the story in the gorgeous islands of Hawaii. So what could go wrong? Everything did from the writing to the casting of the characters and in the end I simply couldn’t defend Crowe on this one. At least I went into it with much lower expectations so I wasn’t disappointed and ended up mildly enjoying it for its final twenty minutes. I still have to catch up with Crowe’s earlier film, Say Anything, and hopefully after watching that he will regain my trust again.

Aloha centers on Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper), a military contractor who is returning to Hawaii after 13 years to convince the King of the island (Dennis Bumpy Kanahele) into giving them a 20 minute blessing in the approval of an Air Force gate. Brian is currently working for a millionaire named Carson Welch (Bill Murray), who is planning on launching a satellite from there. Brian’s ex girlfriend, Tracy (Rachel McAdams), continues to live in the island, but she is married now with Woody (John Krasinski) and has two children. Upon Brian’s arrival the two meet up and they continue to be very fond of each other. During his visit, an Airforce pilot named Allison (Emma Stone) is assigned as his watch dog and despite an awkward introduction the two begin to form a friendship, thus creating a sort of love triangle. Danny McBride and Alec Baldwin have small supporting roles as military officials. 

The plot doesn't make much sense throughout the entire film and the narrative seems to be missing something. I don't know if it's the way the film was edited or simply because of the screenplay but it is incoherent. Crowe has always excelled as a writer so it's difficult to understand what went wrong here. The entire mythology surrounding Hawaii and their belief doesn't make much sense either and it doesn't add anything interesting. For example, Tracy's son, played by Jaeden Lieberher, is always filming everyone with his camera and talking about more of the island's mythology, while Allison also seems to be in awe of the spiritual energy of Hawaii, and she tells everyone she meets that she is one quarter Hawaiian. That Emma Stone was cast in this role is the least of the film's problems (I've met many white folks who are Asian descent and you'd never notice it). As much as I love Murray and Baldwin, their characters are given nothing to work with here and they are completely wasted. Cooper, Stone, and McAdams had a rough start but eventually their characters grew on me. Krasinski is the actor who comes out of this film best, but I'm afraid Crowe missed out on an excellent opportunity to direct these talented actors in such a wonderful location.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (7/10): The franchise continues to be very much alive.

“Every one of the attacks you attributed to the Syndicate, the IMF was there.”

It’s been nearly 20 years since the first time Tom Cruise played IMF agent Ethan Hunt, and after this fifth installment of the franchise there is no sign of him stoping any time soon. Like good wine, these movies seem to get better the older Cruise gets. The weakest link in the series is by far the first sequel directed by John Woo, but J.J. Abrams managed to reinvigorate the franchise in the third Mission Impossible film with Philip Seymour Hoffman’s memorable performance as the main villain and the introduction of Simon Pegg’s character who brought the much needed comic relief. Brad Bird continued what Abrams started with Ghost Protocol and introduced Jeremy Renner to this world, and now it was up to Christopher McQuarrie to continue the hot streak. McQuarrie had previously worked with Cruise in Jack Reacher, a film I seem to have enjoyed more than everybody else. In Rogue Nation he followed what the previous directors brought to the series and continued to build on it with a similar tone during the action sequences that once again took us around the globe. There is a fantastic opening action scene involving Cruise jumping on a plane while it’s about to take off, then it is followed by another wonderful sequence at a Vienna Opera house, and it is topped by another one involving a heist in Morocco that ends with a spectacular motorcycle chase. If there is anything negative I can say about Rogue Nation is that the film opens in such a spectacular fashion and maintains such a steady pace that by the time the bike sequence in Morocco ends the film seems to overstay its welcome. There was just no other way to top those action sequences so the final thirty minutes were a bit of a letdown with the predictable twists that any fan of the franchise could see coming. Other than that this was a fantastic ride which proves once again what a star Tom Cruise really is. 

Upon receiving instructions for his latest mission, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), discovers that it has been compromised by a rogue organization that he refers to as the Syndicate. He is captured by its leader, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). While held captive, right before being tortured a mysterious woman known as Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) helps him escape. Ilsa claims to be a British Intelligence officer who has gone deep undercover to infiltrate Lane’s Syndicate and win his trust. Meanwhile, William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), is forced to testify in front of the US Chairmen committee in response to the agency’s latest dealings which haven’t been accounted for. CIA director, Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin), wants IMF disbanded because he believes Hunt is a liability. The committee decides in Hunley’s favor convinced that the Syndicate doesn’t exist and that Hunt is behind it all. IMF is disbanded so Brandt and Benji (Simon Pegg) are forced to work for the CIA and bring Hunt in. So Ethan is left on his own to try to stop this dangerous organization, but he always finds a way to get his crew back together and accomplish the impossible. Ving Rhames is also back for a fifth time as Luther Stickell as he and Cruise are the only characters who’ve been here from the start. 

The screenplay for Rogue Nation which was written by McQuarrie himself hits pretty much the same beats as the previous two films in the franchise. It has a similar tone and it’s surprising how similar these films are to each other considering they’ve been directed by different directors. You know what direction these spy stories are heading, but the ride is what you are here for. Rogue Nation opens with a spectacular first half and ends in a weaker note, but it is still one great experience thanks to those spectacular action sequences and Cruise’s charm. McQuarrie also manages to do two things right: first of all making Sean Harris’s Solomon Lane a threatening villain and second giving Rebecca Ferguson a strong female character with some great choreographed fighting scenes. These two additions provide the franchise with the freshness it needed to go along with the familiarity of what the rest of the cast always brings. Besides the three action sequences that stood out for me in this film, there is a cool moment where Ethan receives instructions for his latest assignment that is perhaps the best in the franchise. Similarly to what many action films are doing now appealing to the past and our sense of nostalgia, Ethan receives his instructions in a vintage record store in what was one of the most memorable scenes in the film and a great way to introduce the villain of the story. The early escape scene is also quite thrilling, but it was spoiled by the trailers. Rogue Nation proves once again that this franchise is very much alive and that Tom Cruise isn’t getting slower despite his age. It doesn't hurt either that the series has one of the best action scores of any franchise.      

Still Alice (7/10): Moore's powerful portrayal of a woman suffering from mental illness elevates this film

“So live in the moment I tell myself, it really is all I can do, live in the moment.”

Still Alice is a film that touches delicate subject matters, which sometimes don’t make for a compelling watch. It’s hard to sit down and watch someone suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and witness their slow deterioration as they gradually lose their mind. Somehow, Julianne Moore gives such a powerful performance that makes this delicate theme worth your while. She carries this film, and elevates it from your standard mental illness movie. Julianne Moore is on the top of her game and following her strong performance in Maps to the Stars, she delivers an authentic portrayal of a woman trying to come to grips with her terrible diagnosis. The film intelligently centers on her in a very authentic way instead of focusing on the rest of her family, like so many films tend to do when the character has hit rock bottom with their mental disease. As the title suggests, the focus is on Alice and her character is fully developed even when she is at her lowest. As an audience we sometimes tend to look away or find ways to ignore people with mental illness, and many films do so by focusing on the reaction of the rest of the family or on the loved ones as if the main character has lost his or her personality. But we are reminded in this film that Alice is still Alice, and Julianne Moore makes sure we come to grips with this. Julianne Moore will probably be nominated for her lead performance here and it wouldn’t surprise me if she wins her first Oscar after her fifth nomination. She is long overdue.

It’s no surprise that this film was delivered in such an authentic way when you take into consideration that the co-director, Richard Glatzer, suffers from ASL and can’t speak himself. If a film wants to deliver a powerful and empathetic film about mental illness, then there is no better way to do so than having someone who is experiencing this first hand. Glatzer, who has co-directed his previous films with Wash Westmoreland, reunites with him once again co-writing the adapted screenplay from Lisa Genova’s novel. I know the issue has been explored many times before and one could assume it enters familiar territory, but Moore’s portrayal of the character makes this film stand out from others. For people who have gone through similar issues with a family member or close friend, Still Alice hits home, but it does so in a compassionate way. It reminds us how fragile our minds and life can be. Having Moore play a highly intelligent linguistic professor makes this all the more shocking as we see how she struggles with the disease. The most emotional moment of the film comes when Moore’s character is giving a touching speech about how she is dealing with the disease. It was a powerful moment in the movie and Moore deserves all the recognition she’s been getting for her performance. Alec Baldwin and Kristen Stewart both give strong supporting performances as well. The entire film rings true in its exploration of mental illness, and the performances never go over the top. Everything about this film rings true despite the delicate themes that are touched. The subject matter might not be appealing for most audiences and they may find the film tedious, but for me it hits home and I found it to be a compelling drama.

My Review: Blue Jasmine (7/10)

"Who do you have to sleep with around here to get a Stoli martini with a twist of lemon?"

Woody Allen has returned to the States for this film after experiencing some extended vacations over Europe (To Rome with Love, Midnight in Paris, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona), and this time the story takes place mostly in San Francisco, although we do get several interesting flashbacks in New York (Allen's favorite filming location). I mention these locations because in most of his films these cities are actual characters and sometimes even main ones. There were two general criticisms I had read about Blue Jasmine before watching it, one was that this was Woody Allen's return to form and the second was that Cate Blanchett's performance was magnificent. I agree with the second statement because Blanchett delivers one of the best performances of the year and she is the main reason why this film actually worked for me. As for the second statement I have to differ because I thought Midnight in Paris was his best recent film and I enjoyed it much more than Blue Jasmine. I do have to say that Woody Allen's capacity for writing and directing these films in such a short period of time (he's directed one every year for the past decades) impresses me. He has a unique voice in all of his films that sometimes make me picture him talking through each one of his characters. I remember something similar happening to me during college when I would be reading over my notes as I studied for a final exam actually listening to my professors unique voice in my head as I read. This is what happens to me often during a Woody Allen film as I imagine his head popping over one of his characters. It happened during this film as well, except for Blanchett's character who managed to bring her unique style which took a voice of its own. She deserves all the accolades she's been receiving from her peers and critics alike. It was a wonderful performance and an affecting one as well.

Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) was a New York socialite who lived a happy and blessed life with her husband Hal (Alec Baldwin), until he was sent to prison for fraudulent business acts. We get to discover some darker secrets about their past as the story unravels through flashbacks, but the film opens at the present as Jasmine is returning to San Francisco to live with her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins) and her two sons, completely broke. She has experienced several mental breakdowns due to her traumatic past, and despite being estranged from her sister during that time, Ginger takes her in. Jasmine imposes on Ginger who wasn't as blessed as she was and is working at a grocery store while dating Chili (Bobby Canavale). Jasmine and Chili don't get along too well as she has interfered in his plans to move in with Ginger. Jasmine is always telling her that she should find someone better like she did (which wasn't really the case) and that is the reason for the constant friction between them. In San Francisco, Jasmine meets another wealthy man named Dwight (Peter Saarsgard) who she begins dating, and which gives her hope that she will recover her past glory, but her constant lies begin catching up with her affecting her relationship with him and her sister.

I wouldn't say this is a character driven story because I felt a lot of them were one dimensional characters, with the exception of Jasmine of course. The people in Woody Allen's films don't tend to feel real or authentic at times, and they usually are just cartoonish caricatures from a bubbled world. Allen's films aren't the laugh out loud type either, I find them funny in a rather witty way. He is slick at times and the scenes put a smile on your face, but they don't have you laughing hysterically. Blanchett does manage to portray Jasmine in a more authentic and believable way, showing her flaws and inner struggles with her mental illness. It's a character that we find hard to sympathize with, but also feel sorry for as her life begins falling apart. She's the type of person who cannot be on her own and is always depending on someone. I also liked the way in which Woody Allen told the story and let the past unravel smoothly through flashbacks revealing several things about her character. This along with Blanchett's performance is what saves the movie and makes it entertaining, but I wouldn't agree with the critics who are saying this is Allen's best work in years. I do agree it is perhaps his most tragic and darkest comedy in recent years.

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My Review: Rise of the Guardians (7/10)

¨It is our job to protect the children of the world. For as long as they believe in us, we will guard them with our lives.¨

Rise of the Guardians is the latest animated film brought to us by Dreamworks (the studio that created Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon) and directed by Peter Ramsey. This is Ramsey`s first film as a director as he is mostly known for his work as a storyboard artist for films like Fight Club, Men in Black, and Independence Day. Rise of the Guardians is probably not up to par with other Dreamworks projects, but it still manages to be a very entertaining animated film, and one kids will enjoy. The art direction is perhaps the best part of the movie, as the story and characters lack better development. There are a lot of action scenes that the children will enjoy, and plenty of funny moments as well. Rise of the Guardians is a fun movie, it just doesn’t reach the same level How to Train Your Dragon or Kung Fu Panda did. The animated film was adapted by David Lindsay-Abaire from William Joyce`s book. Children will really love this film because it has well known characters and the movie sort of has a Avengers look to it as these heroes assemble together to protect the Earth from a dangerous villain-

Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine) is the main character of the story is a mischievous kid who can turn anything into ice with his stick. The only problem is that no one seems to know he exists. The kids all seem to love North (Alec Baldwin) aka as Santa, Tooth (Isla Fisher) aka the Tooth Fairy, Bunny (Hugh Jackman) aka the Easter Bunny, and Sandman, but they don`t know of the existence of Jack Frost. These four guardians protect the children and ensure that their light always shine with amazement and dreams. Jack Frost on the other hand is always fooling around and doesn’t seem to have any responsibility whatsoever, but his life will change when the evil Pitch (Jude Law) begins to threaten the children and scare them off with nightmares. The four guardians discover that they will need the help of Jack Frost in order to protect the kids from this evil nemesis. The dreams and happiness of the children around the world are at stake.

Rise of the Guardians is a pretty inventive film, using these beloved characters from our childhood and turning them into superheroes that not only bring joy to the children in the holidays, but also protect and guard them from the darkness. I had a fun time with this movie, but I don’t think I would want to watch it again. I probably wouldn’t enjoy a sequel either, but nonetheless I had a good time with this animated feature. Kids will probably enjoy this more than adults.

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My Review: To Rome with Love (8/10)

¨If something is too good to be true, you can bet it’s not.¨

Woody Allen has been directing at least one movie every single year for the past thirty years. It was Rome`s turn for 2012 and although it isn’t as good as his previous film, Midnight in Paris, which won Allen his fourth Oscar for original screenplay, this was still a well written comedy. I laughed really hard at several scenes and enjoyed the film from start to finish. The only problem I had with the film was that the editing was a little choppy in some scenes and the soundtrack was a little annoying, but beside that the film worked really well thanks to some great performances and a great script. It was good to see Woody Allen acting again after six years (the last time was in Scoop) and he is always a charm on camera. I think I`m enjoying Wordy Allen`s films a lot more now than I did his older ones, although it probably has to do because I understand him better now. In To Rome with Love he once again seems to blab about the usual topics such as love, infidelity, fame, success, and death in a very funny and original way. I am a huge Ellen Paige fan, so I was excited to see her on a Woody Allen film and she was just great in the few scenes she shared with Jesse Eisenberg. She never disappoints. I had some high expectations for this film and it never disappointed me. Woody Allen seems to have found a pretty nice groove in Europe and has written yet another very funny comedy. Most fans will be satisfied.

The film takes place in Rome where we have several different romantic stories taking place. These stories aren`t interconnected with each other (other than the fact that they all take place in Rome) and probably aren't in the same time frame either. First we are introduced to Hayley (Alison Pill), an American tourist who is asking for directions to a local she runs into named Michelangelo (Flavio Parenti). He gladly takes her to the spot she´s looking for and romance blossoms between them. Then we are introduced to Leopoldo (Roberto Benigni), a married man who´s routine life changes all of a sudden when he becomes an instant celebrity (for no apparent reason). John (Alec Baldwin) is a successful architect who is visiting Rome, the city he lived in when he was a student. He runs into Jack (played by Jessie Eisenberg) who takes him to the very same place where he used to live when he was young. We soon discover that John really is reliving his past through Jack. Jack is living with his girlfriend Sally (Greta Gerwig) and her best friend Monica (Ellen Paige) is going to be staying with them for a couple of days. Jack can`t help but fall in love with Monica. Antonio (Alessandro Tiberi) and Milly (Alessandra Mastronardi) are a recently married couple from the south of Italy who have arrived in Rome for a job proposal. Milly gets lost in the big city and Antonio has a mistaken encounter with a prostitute named Anna (Penelope Cruz) that will lead to a huge mix up. Woody Allen also has a role in this film as Hayley`s father who comes to meet Michelangelo`s family.

 Each one of the stories work really well in my opinion although I did laugh a little harder with Roberto Benigni`s scenes which remind us all of the perks of being a celebrity, as well as the disadvantages (the overly exaggerated media attention). Woody Allen was also great as the frustrated Opera director who can`t seem to enjoy the idea of retirement and associates it more with dying. I think that is his personal philosophy and thus the reason why he continues to make films at such a fast pace. He refuses to retire from directing. The mix up between Penelope Cruz and Alessandro Tiberi also makes for some funny scenes, but my favorite story had to do with the love triangle between Jessie Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, and Ellen Paige. There were so many different things going on in this film, but somehow Allen managed to make the film work in such a way that every character was made interesting. I`m usually not a fan of these multiple stories in one film, but here it works really well and the surprising thing is that the stories weren’t even interconnected with each other. But it works because Rome becomes the central theme of the film. I really had a fun time with this movie and would recommend it.

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My Review: Rock of Ages (4/10)

¨This place is about to become a sea of sweat, ear-shattering music and puke.¨

Filmmaker Adam Shankman just succeeded in bringing to the big screen one of the worst movies of the year. It`s a shame because I had enjoyed his 2008 musical Hairspray, but this one doesn’t work at all. It tries too hard to be funny, but it just felt lame. The first 30 minutes are terrible, the film then picks up thanks to Tom Cruise but it just seemed to drag on forever. The movie may have one of the best soundtracks of the year and that saves it, but that is about the only thing I enjoyed of Rock of Ages. There are a couple few funny scenes but they are too far spread out and like one of the character`s sings near the end ¨the movie keeps on going on and on.¨ I didn’t like that the producers decided to put the words of the song during the musical like if it were a karaoke bar, but I guess a lot of people liked it and it worked for them. I`m just giving my personal opinion and I didn’t think it worked really well as a movie. There were a lot of similarities between this movie and Burlesque, another film I didn’t like very much but is much better than this one. Musicals haven’t worked out really well in the past few years (Burlesque and Nine), and it`s a shame because with films like Chicago, Moulin Rouge, and Dreamgirls it looked like this genre was going through a revival period.

Sherrie (Julianne Hough from the Footloose remake) is a small town girl from Tulsa, Oklahoma that is pursuing her dream of becoming a singer and therefore is moving to Hollywood. Once she arrives to the big city she is introduced to a new world and from the moment she sets her foot in Hollywood she is robbed. But not everyone is a thief in Hollywood and she finds help from a young man who`s also aspiring to become a rock star. His name is Drew (Diego Boneta) and he immediately helps Sherrie by helping her get a job at the same place he works at: the Bourbon Club, famous for having launched Stacee Jaxx`s (Tom Cruise) career as a rock star. Jaxx is at the pinnacle of his career and is thinking of going solo. He will be presenting his last concert with his band at the Bourbon Club run by Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin). The club is having some financial troubles, but the concert will put it in the map again. Not everyone admires Stacee Jaxx however, as the mayor (Brian Cranston) and his wife Patty Whitmore (Catherine Zeta Jones) want to clean the city by closing down the famous club responsible for so much immorality. Other important characters in this musical include the talents of Paul Giamatti as Jaxx`s manager, Russell Brand as Dennis`s best friend and work partner, Mary J Blige as a strip club owner, and Malin Akerman as a Rolling Stones magazine reporter.

There is not much more I can add about this review but say that Tom Cruise gave yet another good performance. I also liked the young Diego Boneta who I hadn’t heard about before. He has a decent career ahead of him. Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand are always funny and shared some funny moments together. Julianne Hough is beautiful but she didn’t seem to fit the part in this film. I didn’t like her very much in Rock of Ages. My main complaint has nothing to do with the cast, I just think it was poorly directed and scripted. The film has some great music, but that is about it. I wouldn’t want to watch this film again and couldn’t recommend it to anyone.

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My Review: It`s Complicated (6/10)

¨Here comes your ex-husband. Not the best time to be feeling groovy.¨

(6/10) As the title suggests this movie is complicated. It is a funny comedy that works in the most part thanks once again to Meryl Streep. The supporting cast is also good, Alec Baldwin is probably at his comedic best in the last couple of years thanks in most part to his role in 30 Rock, and then you have the always reliable Steve Martin, but who always stands out in the film is Meryl Streep. She won another award for her role in Julie and Julia this year, but she was also nominated for her performance in this movie. Every time she is on screen she is a critic favorite and she can turn an average movie into a good one just with her presence. The dialogue in this movie is not bad either, there are several clever jokes and laugh out loud moments. The director is the same person who brought us What Woman Want, The Holiday, and Something`s Got to Give; and this movie follows a similar comedic style. Nancy Meyers not only directed this film, but she wrote it as well. It`s Complicated is not a memorable movie, but it is entertaining and it does have some very funny moments. Fans of Streep will be pleased as always with her performance and she has several funny scenes like the pot smoking scene in the bathroom and the encounter via internet with her ex husband and her date in the bedroom. The movie has its moments but it isn`t anything we haven`t seen before.

Meryl Streep is Jane, a mother of three who has been divorced for almost 20 years. She has kept busy with her kids, but now they have all grown up and the youngest is about to leave for college so she will have the house all to herself. Her ex husband is Jake (played by Alec Baldwin) and he is remarried to a much younger woman called Agness (Lake Bell). Jake and Jane get along pretty well, but the audience can tell that she is still hurt by the entire situation and feels uncomfortable every time she runs in to Jake and Agness. Their son Luke (Hunter Parrish) is getting graduated from college so the entire family has to travel for the ceremony. Jane`s oldest daughter, Lauren (Caitlin Fitzgerald) is engaged to Harley (John Krasinski from The Office) and they are also reunited with the family. The youngest daughter is Gabby (Zoe Kazan) and they all decide to stay at a hotel near Luke´s College. The only person missing at the event is Agness and her restless little boy. Somehow Jane and Jake end up alone at the bar of the hotel, one thing leads to another and an affair between both of them begins. The plot gets more complex (and thus the title It´s Complicated) when Adam (Steve Martin) joins the picture. He is an architect who is in charge of Jane`s house rebuilding project.. He begins to fall for Jane and the two begin to date while she is conflicted between her affair with her ex husband. Adam at the same time is very jealous of Adam and wishes to win his ex wife back because things back home are not as good as they used to be. The plot continues to unravel from this point on leading to very funny situations combined with some drama.

Steve Martin played a much more normal character this time around and Alec Baldwin was the strange and funnier one. It is going to be fun to watch both of them host the Oscars this year. They are incredibly talented actors and of course Meryl Streep is the reason most people wanted to watch this movie. She attracts a much more mature audience so the comedy and dialogue is intelligent, but it also has enough silly scenes to attract younger audiences as well. The movie also has some family drama in it and the relationships are so complex that you are not really sure who you want Jane to stay with at the end. Love is more complicated than most romantic movies make it out to be, but this movie takes a much more realistic approach with a few exaggerations here and there. I don`t think this is a movie you will love and want to see several times, but it is a decent movie and one that will entertain you the first time around. I thought it was ok, but I won`t be watching it again anytime soon and I don`t think it is worthy of any nominations either. Streep is good as usual, but if she deserves a nomination this year it should be for her role in Julie and Julia where she was at the best of her game.