Let’s clarify that
that’s in the comedic sense, as the British comedian has a
tremendous talent of being an absolute jerk (in roles) yet one
of the most enjoyable on-screen character actors working
today. About a Boy would very presumably not work at all if
the main lead character was not someone at the level of Hugh
Grant. The movie calls for someone who can be really ignorant
and loveable at the same time. You can’t just cast anybody in
that role, as not every actor would be able to make it
convincing. If it were poorly cast, the film would not work
because the viewer needs to love the guy. Hugh Grant, as
always, controls the role where he is allowed to apply all his
usual charms while still being an absolute prick.Chris and
Paul Weitz, who wrote and directed the film, have backed the
comedian up with a well-written script with heart, soul, a lot
of laughs, and well crafted characters. Unlike many of the
productions listed so far, About a Boy is the movie to walk
into for entertainment. It’s very funny, can be very touching,
but most of all, it’s really well put together at the same
time as being really pleasurable. It’s not always easy to
blend pure entertainment with pure quality, as most films of
this genre are more so aimed to make you walk out happy and
forget that you saw them two weeks later.
About a Boy can
stick around the mind for a while due to its very fine acting,
a witty and clever script, and two directors who comprehend
the language of comedy. In the end, it may carry along a few
virtues from themes in films that have come before it, but it
does more than serve an hour and a half of laughs, and for
that About a Boy is something special.
9.
The Good Girl
Written by Mike White, who scribed the intelligent teen
flick, Orange County, the darkly humorous Chuck & Buck, along
with the underrated Dead Man on Campus, The Good Girl is one
of those movies that (for the most part) is the way it is
because of the writing. White has created these characters
within the page as if they’re living creatures. They have
their lifestyles, they have their personalities, they have
their flaws, and we all see this due to the script diving into
their minds. The movie itself is really more of a character
study film, as it centers its attention on the people
on-screen and lets the viewer analyze and interpret them.
Director Miguel Arteta has conveyed the hellhole that these
people live in (or so some of them believe) in the ways (of
the perfection) of the monotonous acting, the tired and boring
atmosphere that is brought on by the cinematography, and the
music, which can be a little depressing but fits right in
the show.
The Good Girl is ultimately a rather small production like
25th Hour, but it is also a lot more depressing
than many of the films listed so far. It’s depressing in that
the people we watch are just a small picture of what life is
really like for so many others like them. It’s a boring
lifestyle that these characters live for themselves, but it’s
the road that they’ve taken. The movie has some really
terrific offbeat humor that is thrown in at the right spots,
which makes the film a partially dark comedy. But all the
ingredients are there, and the script is rolling with detail.
The Good Girl is an example of a really great script handled
beautifully by the director.
10.
About Schmidt
Coming from the co-writer and director of Election, I had a
level of expectation for About Schmidt that was pretty well
covered in the long run. I loved Election with its very
detailed character analysis, the humor, the acting, and the
story as well. About Schmidt is much of the same, as it
combines outstanding talent with an excellent screenplay,
along with humor and a story that is very honest and sincere.
In the end, I only had two real complaints about the movie and
they were substantial enough to downgrade the film from a
straight "A" rating. Outside of those two factors, this movie
really had me into the story every step of the way.
The cinematography, while not as superior as Road to
Perdition’s, is excellent and really nails the tone of the
film. There are bits and pieces to Schmidt that are consisted
of camera shots aided by background music, but these spots can
have meaning depending on your current state-of-mind and
involvement with the themes at play. It’s a movie that really
depends on your approval of what’s taken place thus far in the
story. If you’re not drawn in and engaged from the beginning,
there may be problems for some folks in connection. About
Schmidt is for mature moviegoers who are willing to watch a
movie, invest care and sympathy, and think.
There are quite a few movies of Jack Nicholson’s that I’ve
never seen, but from what I’ve heard from others who’ve seen
this film, when I say this is his best work yet it could be
accurate. There are some film concepts that come crawling
along where the main lead is already destined to be someone in
particular. There are films where really, producers/directors
and even audience members can only see one man/woman pulling
off the job. One upcoming example is Bruce Almighty, as I
don’t have any other actor in my mind that I think would pull
off more of a fun God-character than Jim Carrey.
About Schmidt tags along storytelling methods introduced
back in Election, but the story and ambitions are different
and new. The acting is more refined here, in my opinion, and
the subject matter is a lot more brutal and less friendly, yet
the messages and themes that come out of it are very bright
and inspirational. It’s sort of a semi-depressing film that
can even make you walk out happy all depending on your view of
the story all the way through, and the impact of the
concluding scene. It’s a very powerful film that is more
realistically honest than many inspire-flicks that have come
before it. It’s really an indirect inspirational story, as
it’s either going to hit you or it may not. But if the ending
scene/ending shot doesn’t produce any emotional feeling from
you whatsoever, you might want to check your pulse.
Further rankings and a list of all 2002's movie ratings will
be added on soon.