Quick Shots 15

Title: The Change-Up.

Starring: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin.

Brief Synopsis: Mitch (Reynolds) and Dave (Bateman) have been best friends forever. Dave has become a pretty successful lawyer who is married to Jamie (Mann) and has three kids, a daughter and a pair of infant twins. Mitch, meanwhile, is an out-of-work actor who goes from one sexual conquest to another. The two envy each other and one night while drunk they take a leak in a fountain and wish for each other's lives.

Opinion: This film is a lot like Freaky Friday where the two individuals switch bodies - where no one else arounds them knows - and the two are forced to live each other's lives. At first believing that the other person's life is better than theirs. As things progress they both begin to actually like the other life - Mitch enjoying the family life, while Dave is finally enjoying having some free-time to himself. It's all pretty generic, and we know what is going to happen, but it was pretty fun watching them get there. And, it was a much more raunchier than Freaky Friday.

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Title: What's Your Number?

Starring: Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Ari Graynor, Ed Begley, Jr., Eliza Coupe, Joel McHale, Chris Pratt.

Brief Synopsis: Ally (Faris) has just broken up with her boyfriend and while reading an article in a magazine she reads that an average woman has a handful of sexual partners in their life, and those that have more than 20 will most likely never find their husband. As her sister prepares to get married to a man that she broke up with and then got back together with, Ally swears off new men and with the help of her sex-crazed neighbor, Colin (Evans), she begins to track down her former lovers to find the one who may be her husband.

Opinion: I don't know what it is, I never really hated Evans - but I wasn't looking for his films either, but ever since Captain America I have really started noticing him more. I really enjoy him - and here he was really fun. Faris is also someone I like, she is funny and cute, and here it continues. The film itself was pretty funny, and like all romantic comedies the end was pretty much mapped out from the start, but I liked the journey.

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Title: In Time.

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Galecki, Olivia Wilde, Matt Bomer, Vincent Kartheiser.

Brief Synopsis: In the future, money has been replaced by time. All humans stop aging at the age of 25, but as you hit your 25th birthday a clock on your arm begins to tick down from a year. Time can also be passed on in much the same way as money. You can earn more time at work, but you lose time for purchases. Will Salas (Timberlake) lives with his mother, Rachel (Wilde), in the poor time zone. It seems that Salas goes to bed each night with a day to live, but earns more at work the next day. One night he runs into Henry Hamilton (Bomer) at a bar and helps him out of a jam. Hamilton happens to have over a century of time, and decides he has lived long enough - transferring his time to Salas. With time to spare, Salas heads to the rich time zone - but is charged with Hamilton's murder by the timekeeper (Murphy). Salas kidnaps Sylvia Weis (Seyfried) and escapes.

Opinion: I actually really enjoyed this film. I had heard some bad things about it heading in, but the entire premise was just too cool to pass up. And, I thought they did a pretty good job. It was pretty much a futuristic Bonnie & Clyde film. Murphy and Timberlake were truly great - and Kartheiser, who plays one of the richest men and is Sylvia's father, is just one of the best as playing the schwarmy villain, much like his Mad Men character. And, I really don't mind Seyfried - she did pretty well in this role, in my opinion.

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Title: Footloose (2011).

Starring: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell, Miles Teller, Ray McKinnon, Ser'Darius Blain.

Brief Synopsis: An accident after a high school dance claims the lives of five seniors, including the son of Rev. Shaw Moore (Quaid). After the accident, Moore announces that the community needs to take better care of their children - and the town passes laws for curfews, no dancing and no loud music. Three years later, Ren (Wormald) comes to town from Boston and is immediately pulled over for loud music. He becomes friends with Willard (Teller) and Woody (Blain), and joins the football team. Ariel (Hough) is the daughter of the Reverend, and is lashing out due to the death of her brother and her father's overbearing rules. Ren and Ariel begin to connect and Ren takes on the town to overturn the rules so the seniors can have a prom.

Opinion: OK. I really can't hate this movie. But, the main reason why I can't hate it is because I really like the original and this one is almost identical to that one - the final scenes of the film are pretty much shot-for-shot right down to the outfits the characters are wearing. What I am saying is there was no real reason for this to be made - the only real update is instead of cassette tapes, Ren is now using an iPod. But, I did enjoy the performances - and there were a few differences that I did like. Never heard of the main actor until here, but I prefer Kevin Bacon in the role - though I will definitely take Hough, great dancer and, well, yearh.

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