Thursday, January 24, 2008

P.S. I Love You


WARNING: IF YOU LOVED THIS MOVIE AND CRIED THROUGH IT, OR IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET AND DON'T WANT TO BE TAINTED, STOP READING NOW. MAJOR SPOILERS AND STRONG OPINIONS TO FOLLOW.



As I walked out of the theater last night with two of my very favorite people in the world (thanks gals, had a blast!!), I felt a little ill. Not because I ate an entire box of Buncha Crunch with my Cherry Coke, but because I had no idea how I could come home and do a review for this movie today, feeling the way I did about it. Everyone I have talked to has LOVED this movie, and I, well....not so much. But my girls convinced me to go ahead with my review. After all, movie critics don't just review the movies they love, and honestly, I've been wanting to do a review of a movie that I didn't really like, you know, to test out my "critic" abilities and even things out after all the four star reviews. So out come the claws.


For those of you who haven't seen it yet, the storyline is this: A young widow (Hilary Swank, who is an amazing actress in everything but this movie...and The Next Karate Kid), devastated by the loss of her recently deceased husband (Gerard Butler), begins receiving letters from him that he wrote before he died, knowing the end was near (he died of a brain tumor.) Cue sappy music, grab the Kleenex. The idea is sweet and had possibility, but the filmmakers had no shame in doing whatever they could think of to tug on those heartstrings. I felt like they wanted me to cry so badly, that the rebel in me refused. Not a tear shed from this gal. Okay, maybe one.

I didn't completely hate the movie for one reason: Gerard Butler. I fell in love with him as the Phantom and was a little too excited to watch him in something where his face wasn't either half-covered by a mask or horribly disfigured. He was the movie's only redeeming quality. He could have stood there in head-to-toe plaid polyester and not said a word the entire time and still been the best part of the movie (hello, the face) but then you add his fun, goofy, chronically happy personality and that divine Irish accent and....well, you got me sitting impatiently through the scenes he's not in.

Hilary Swank, however, seemed horribly miscast. She just didn't seem right for this part and I kept putting other actresses in her place that I thought would have been much better. It didn't help that I really didn't like her character very much. Once again there was a stupid girl who had no earthly business being with the perfect, amazing guy that she had and totally didn't appreciate. At all. What is Hollywood's obsession with this? It makes me crazy. The whole movie I sat there trying to figure out what would have made Gerry (Gerard) love Holly (Hilary) so much. I never did figure it out.

Here are just some of the other things that rubbed me the wrong way:

~Were they in Ireland? Were they in New York? It only took me halfway through the movie (after mass confusion) to figure this out, thanks to some help from my viewing buddies.

~Um, what the heck kind of funeral was that? Besides a few tears from the widow, it seemed more like a birthday party. I sat there waiting for a twist, that it actually wasn't his funeral. No. It was.

~Harry Connick Jr. I don't even know what to say here. Just...weird.

~The supporting characters were very much "characters". Not believable, not relate-able. Besides a couple of laughs from Lisa Kudrow, there wasn't much else there. Especially Holly's very weird, badly-dyed-blonde sister. What was she on?

~Holly's family showed up to her apartment a week after the funeral to find her rotting in her misery, then proceed to chastise her for not being over it yet. She continues to get flack from different people throughout the movie for not having moved on yet. Um, seriously? You gotta be kidding me.

Okay, because I want to end on a positive note, here is what I liked about the movie:

~ Mr. Butler (duh)

~ the fact that it was a movie about a married couple...how rare is that? It really did make me appreciate my husband more.

~ Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who didn't do all that much for me on Grey's Anatomy, was gorgeous and actually believable as an Irishman. (I am wary of fake accents and he actually had us all wondering if he is really from Ireland. Nope. Seattle!)

~ the hospital scene after Holly's karaoke mishap. Each time the camera got closer and revealed another wound, we laughed harder and louder. We were still laughing five minutes later.

So was this long enough? I seriously could have made it ten times longer (what does that say about me, that my negative reviews come so much easier to me? hmmm...) but I'm sure you were all ready for me to shut up about three minutes ago.

To sum up: Great company, great night, great friends, not-so-great movie.

(Is anyone else having serious problems drafting and publishing posts?)







19 comments:

{ bRee } said...

THANKS FOR THIS ALICIA, THE GIRL WHO DOES MY HAIR RAVED ABOUT THIS MOVIE, AND I THOUGHT, WELL PERHAPS I MIGHT GO SEE IT, BUT I THINK I SHALL NOT. SO THANKS FOR SAVING ME THE TROUBLE!

Shayla said...

Sorry people, but I gotta agree with Alicia on this one. I shed a few tears when she was sobbing to her mom, but other than that it was just okay for me. I just didn't believe in the characters, either. I know they were trying to go for "odd" with Harry Connick Jr., but I just couldn't believe in his character AT ALL. Same with Hilary Swank, something just didn't "fit" right. But, as I said last night the two boys with their Irish accents and dimples made it all worth it. Oh, that and the butter-covered popcorn and Mr. Pibb that I inhaled. Missed all of you that couldn't come, it was so fun to be out with the gals.

Ms. Kristen said...

Ah come on! I loved it and will still love it! I only surround my self with 3-5 year olds half the days.....so I loved it! I like anything adult related! Plus, it does'nt help being premenstural while watching this movie! Sob!
It is good to hear someone else's thoughts on this movie!
You are right,Gerard is soooooo good to look at!

Washington Rimmasch Family said...

Oh I really wish I could have gone! But, I prefer to get the most Bang for my buck when it comes to the theater so thanks so much for the heads up. I loved the review. I really enjoy hearing all sides even if I was hoping for something else like how great it was! It's nice to get a deeper view point. I will most likely rent it because it sounds fun but it looks like my "movie $" will be put to better use else were.Thanks a bunch:)

PRP said...

Alicia, you are great.

But you are totally wrong! :)

I think the problem is that it was probably so hyped up that you couldn't be anything but disappointed. I loved Hilary in the roll, loved that she was flawed and silly, loved her girlfriends and really loved the funeral scene.

I appreciated your opinion and am sorry that you didn't love it, but I think you should give it another shot. When it comes out on video!

Alicia said...

Alright Karen...now the gloves are coming off.....

tharker said...

I have not seen it yet, but I like that you and the K's have differing opinions. It's like watching a great episode of clashing movie critics. I enjoy a well rounded discussion.

Marilyn said...

I was so bummed that I couldn't make it, but I still plan on seeing it for myself. Brandon really wants to go see it with me, (I wonder what he wants?). So I will keep an open mind and let you know what I think.

Ms. Kristen said...

I love that we all have an opinion! I am with Karen....I would carry my husbands urn around too! Ha!
Love you Alicia!

cazmom said...

What was the deal with Harry Connick? Why was he in the movie at all anyway? I haven't seen it and usually don't go to the big screen to see sappy movies anyways. I like being at home instead. I'd go see it to see Gerard, though. He's yummy. I've always thought he was Scottish. Oh well.

cazmom said...

Ok, another comment. He was also in Reign of Fire, a good dragon movie with Christian Bales (oh ya) and Matthew McConahey (i know i butchered his last name but i'm too lazy to look it up). I think Ashley Judd would have been a good fit for the role. I love her!

Nicole said...

And you call yourself a friend?

I can't believe you like Hilary 'horse mouth' Swank in everything but this -- This is actually the first role that I liked her in. I found her very appealing and believable.

I really think you just went into it expecting for your world to be rocked. And, honestly, what movie could live up to those expectations?

So, people, what I am saying is don't listen to her. Go see it anyway. I went. I cried. I am not a crier. I loved. I even came home liking my husband a bit more. Until he spoke. But that's more than you need to know.

Sara said...

Hey,
This will be the second time I have heard something terrible about this film. My sister actualy left the theater during it because it was sos bad. Well, I do love MR. Butler so it might just be worth seeing him agian.
Sara

PRP said...

Nicole-you rock.

Alicia-I'm waiting for you to throw the first punch.

I will agree to disagree, as long as you know you're wrong....

KIDDING!

meohmyers said...

I'm afraid I have to sit on the fence on this one. I thought it was okay. I was prepared for a real tear jerker! But the only scene that really got me was the one where she was sobbing to her mom. That killed me! Not that I just want to cry in a movie the whole time, but I thought it was a lot more mellow than I heard it was.

I loved the hospital scene after the karaoke mishap. That cracked me up! I loved laughing about that scene after it was long gone!

It was a sweet love story though. And I completely agree!! I gots to go find me an Irishman!! Just to look at, of course.

lindsay>boo said...

I loved the movie too. Often times when people say they really like movies it does get built up. If you went into it thinking it was a light-hearted romantic comedy, I could see why you'd be disappointed. I knew it wasn't going to be an oscar-worthy movie, but I still really enjoyed it.

Ms. Kristen said...

I like this movie review/critic blog buster bellowing....it should be a continual thing! What movie are we all going to next?

lovely lindsay said...

amen, sister. thanks for posting the truth. i hated this movie. wanted to get up and walk out. i expected so much more from hilary... i think i may have even been cringing through whole thing.
i found your blog through danyelle's and i'm so pleased with your movie-taste.

jchristensen said...

Seriously, there are few people in the world whose writing makes me laugh out loud. But sitting here in front of my computer, reading your blog, and your refreshingly candid review, made me want to pee my pants. Not to be a psycho stalker, but I love, love, love your personality!