"The House Bunny" Film Review

This movie was pure chick flick fun. No more, no less.

The House Bunny is a romantic comedy directed by Fred Wolf in 2008. Co-produced by Adam Sandler, Anna Faris and others, and written by Legally Blonde writers, Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah Lutz. The film stars Anna Faris, Kat Dennings, Emma Stone, Rumer Willis, Katharine McPhee, and others.

I know that this is a typical comedy chick flick, complete with fashion montages, the make-over, boys who “like girls for who they are,” the heroine fighting with her frenemies, the heroine fighting with her friends, the heroine being friends with her friends again, really cheesy speeches in front of a bunch of uptight people, and those uptight people eventually being won over by the cheesy speech. Basically, just add Hugh Hefner and a sorority angle to the mix and you get the House Bunny. Still, having ranted about the predictability of this chick flick, I really actually enjoyed this film.

Anna Faris’ facial expressions are pure win. Her comedic timing, presence, and her courage and eagerness to let herself look and act absolutely stupid deserves much, much kudos. I first noticed Anna Faris in the movie “Just Friends” with Ryan Reynolds, and after seeing her in the “toothpaste scene,” and hearing her squeak out her Britney Spears-like voice had me belly laugh out loud. Now, every time I hear her exorcist-like expression in this film, I can’t help but chortle. Faris however, isn’t the only star in this movie, it also includes a surprisingly funny and charming band of misfits. Kat Dennings as the sarcastic Mona is a scene stealer, her snarky quips are quick and unapologetic. Emma Stone as the jolly and optimistic Natalie was another pleasant surprise. Of course, Katharine McPhee and Rumer Willis were both dedicated and charming in their roles as well. Also, I sat up in attention every time Tyson Ritter (of All-American Rejects) was on screen.

The House Bunny is admittedly funnier than your average, run of the mill, typical comedy chick flick. Anna Faris is an exceptional female comedienne, and I hope we see more of her soon. There are too few funny women on the big screen nowadays. Another thing that makes the movie so charming is the way everyone seems to be having genuine fun with their characters. I would have loved to see the outtakes in this film. The music was great and the look was good. Although I'm still a little confused why Kat Dennings’ character looked worse after “the make over,” but over all, everyone was as gorgeous as we expected them to be.

I can’t really say anything negative about this movie, because expecting too much out of a movie like this is just plain stupid. You can’t really expect a ground-breaking, life-changing message from a film called House Bunny, can you? The House Bunny does what we all expect it to do, deliver the modern-fashioned entertainment that we all reluctantly love/like/tolerate? Still, I really, really, hope, pray, wish, and f*cking expect sometime soon, that someone in the movie world will figure out a way to empower women with methods that do not involve getting their hair done and having lessons on how to put on make-up and act like a ho.

By the way, the fact that Anna Faris’ character realized how to be true to herself thanks to an allergic reaction to erythromycin automatically gives this film an extra kudos.

Shelley: "My allergic reaction made me feel beautiful."

"My Sassy Girl" Film Review

I really liked the film. It was a fresh kind of romantic comedy. There were barely any outrageously cheesy moments. Jesse Bradford even made me swoon.

My Sassy Girl is an American remake of the 2001 Korean film of the same title. The film is directed by Yann Samuel, and stars Jesse Bradford and Elisha Cuthbert. The film went straight to DVD in the US, but it premiered in theaters in other countries, e.g. Philippines.

My Sassy Girl is about a sweet guy from the Midwest named Charlie Bellow (Bradford), and his confusing and life-changing relationship with the demanding, complicated, and beautiful Jordan Roark (Cuthbert). Charlie unexpectedly meets Jordan while waiting for his ride in the subway, and after saving her life while she was drunk and taking care of her, Jordan repays Charlie by sabotaging his mundane life.

I’ve heard that the people who have seen the Korean version say that the American one sucks.

Well I’ve never seen the Korean version, but I’ve got to say that this is an incredibly sweet romantic film. But not too sweet, there were enough rough and tumble parts to keep the audience interested. Jesse Bradford and Elisha Cuthbert’s performance were great, extra kudos to Cuthbert for her outstanding screen presence. My Sassy Girl isn’t like all the other romantic comedies, it’s not a one dimensional film where the hero/heroine suddenly changes their “player” ways because they’ve fallen oh-so in love with either the “geek” or the “best friend.” And no one “suddenly realizes” that they’re in love with the person sitting in front of them the whole damn time. What I really like about the film is that there’s no tangible flaw in the characters, they’re perfectly imperfect humans. This takes the film to a fairly more genuine level of character development than most movies in the romantic comedy genre.

My Sassy Girl is ultimately a story about making the choice to follow the destiny presented to you. Although it’s pretty obvious where the plot is going, especially if you’re the type to look for it, the film still gives the audience a crazy, lovely, sassy ride throughout.

"Mad Money" Film Reviews

Mad Money is a comedy film by Callie Khouri, which stars Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, and Katie Holmes.

Mad Money is about three seemingly ordinary women from different walks of life who come together for a common goal, money. These three women decide to rob the bank they are working for. Their heists go unnoticed for a long period of time because the money they steal are bills that are being destroyed. The group was initiated by Bridget Cardigan (Diane Keaton), who is considered as the criminal mastermind. She lived a fortunate lifestyle with her husband Don Cardigan (Ted Danson) until they became recently bankrupt. Desperate for any monetary income, she applied for a janitorial job at the Federal Reserve Bank. Nina Brewster (Queen Latifah), is a single mother of two and is the main voice of reason of the group. Jackie Truman (Katie Holmes) is the youngest of the group and has possibly the least motivation. Although they all have very different reasons for agreeing to steal money, they form a group camaraderie that helps them survive the troubles ahead of them.

Mad Money was entertaining enough, but it lacked substance in practically all aspects. The cast was admittedly stellar, Keaton and Latifah had contrasting personalities that kept things interesting, and Katie Holmes in particular was a pleasant scene stealer for me. Many critics may have differing opinions about her acting skills, but in this film her main job was to act cute, and I thought she did so quite well.

The thing about this film is that it really could have been better. The overall pacing didn’t achieve anything above average, and the comedy was good enough, but it wasn’t laugh out loud funny. The story didn’t really give any thought-provoking lessons or conclusions, and the other characters were at times, simply annoying and a little too over the top stereotypical. Mad Money’s best asset truly is its main cast, and it’s only because of them that this film can be called interesting.

"Enchanted" Film Review

Surprisingly, I had a lot of fun watching this.

Enchanted is a film that combines fairy tales and contemporary romantic comedy in a way that people of all ages may appreciate. By the end of this movie, your cheeks will probably hurt because you’ve been smiling non-stop. Still, minor injuries not withstanding, Enchanted is an avant garde spoof of classic Disney style stories.

Amy Adams will steal your heart every time she opens her mouth or elegantly flaps her hands, which is practically all throughout the film. Patrick Dempsey is the befuddled cynic that many McDreamy fans will swoon for. James Marsden plays the prince who is so earnestly arrogant that you cannot help but find him to be charming. I give extra kudos to Marsden for his surprisingly excellent singing skills. Susan Sarandon gives a bewitching performance as the main villain.

There are no complex plot twists, or headache inducing conflicts, Enchanted is all about spontaneous, cute lovey-doveyness. What I heart so much about this Disney tale is that it was the princess who saved the “prince” from the scary dragon-witch. Even though your tooth may ache from the continuous sweetness, Enchanted is a happy-fluffy film that can make even the most depressed cynics smile any day.