Friday Film Festival Vol. 2

This week in F3 I'll be covering some of the movies that are hitting theaters this weekend. I'll give a few facts or background about each and then my take on them. I have not yet seen any of these, so "My Take" is simply an impression based on what I know right now. Shocking though it may be, I have been wrong in the past--just not often.

Hitch starring Will Smith, Kevin James and Eva Mendes. Didn't we cover this in the Super Bowl post? Will Smith plays the ultimate dating guru, who can teach any man how to get the girl of his dreams. Eva Mendes plays the woman that makes him turn into an idiot resembling all other men. Kevin James plays what appears to the the only character he can play. My Take: Do you think we can get odds on whether or not Will Smith exclaims "Oh, Hai-yul No!" at any point during this film? Like many Will Smith movies, it might be enjoyable but probably forgotten a day or so later. (Note: Wild Wild West is the major exception to this rule. I'm still trying to forget that one.)

Pooh's Heffalump Movie. Winnie the Pooh has been on a hiatus for quite sometime, at least as a headliner, though Tigger and Piglet have been keeping themselves busy. I don't have children, nor have I watched a Winnie the Pooh movie in quite sometime, so it's a little hard for me to say much about this one. Clocking in at just over 60 minutes, it should at least keep the torment parents must endure down to a minimum. My Take: I really can't say too much about this one, except that the title made me start singing "Heffalumps and Woozles" from Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, which then led to me singing "I'm Just a Little Black Rain Cloud." No, I haven't watched these recently. Shut up and leave me alone. Don't try to pretend those songs aren't stuck in your head now, either.

Ong-Bak. This movie has been playing in Asia and at film festivals for a while now. The big draw for this film is of course the martial arts which are performed with no stunt doubles, computer graphics or wire-fu. Plot? Umm...yeah, I'm sure it has one. Does it really matter? My Take: The movie has an endorsement from RZA of Wu-Tang on the official site, what more do you want? It really doesn't matter to me because I live in Michigan and won't get a chance to see this whether I want to or not.

Uncle Nino. This movie played in Grand Rapids for what seemed to be an eternity (it was over a year). I understand that many small movies play in only one or two places until they get picked up for wider distribution, but Grand Rapids? Really? (Interestingly enough, Pierrino Mascarino, the actor who plays Uncle Nino, was apparently at many of the showings in GR.) Now that it is getting a wider release, Uncle Nino will be distributing its feel-good message to the masses. My Take: I have seen reviews of this movie that range from being passionate recommendations to calling it an "overrated after-school special." I think I can see why either might be justified. I'll have to wait to decide which side of the fence to fall on until after I have seen it.

Bride & Prejudice. Jane Austen meets Bollywood? What do you need to know about this movie? Director Gurinder Chadha also directed the amusing multi-cultural Bend It Like Beckham. The movie stars Aishwarya Rai, who won the Miss World title in 1994 and was named most beautiful woman by Hello magazine in 2003. Rai supposedly gained 20 pounds for the role because she felt it was a more realistic look for her character. Austen's Pride and Prejudice gets updated and gets a Bollywood makeover. In case you aren't familiar with the Bollywood style, this means you should expect song and dance numbers throughout the film. My Take: I have to admit, this one intrigues me. Unfortunately, it once again does not matter because of where I live.

That about does it for this edition of F3. As always, if you have a topic for future F3 columns, let me know.

Until later...