The Switch

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An aging woman (Jennifer Aniston) decides she's not going to wait for love to have a baby, she's going to get a sperm donor. Then, in a drunken stupor, her best friend, who happens to be a guy, (Jason Bateman) switches the donors sperm for his own, and 7 years later starts to realize that her kid is his kid.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Thomas Robinson, Juliette Lewis, Caroline Dhavernas, Jason Jones, Bryce Robinson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Despite the ridiculous premise, the moments that lead to each implausible beat make a lot of sense.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I had a couple of good ones, because I like to laugh at children.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: A much less cool fact about me is I tend to cry at children, too.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: First movie about a woman who decides to get pregnant on her own, since The Back-up Plan. Hey, it's been 4 months, we were due for another one, right?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Jeff Goldblum is the stand out, and also plays the perfect best-friend. He is just the right combination of caring and giving you the space to make your own mistakes. The little boy, Thomas Robinson, is pretty impressive, too.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: For some reason, the directing in this movie feels kind of self-conscious to me. It's like they're trying really hard to do something special, but no matter how hard they try, their work refuses to go beyond run of the mill.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The hardest thing to get past (besides the premise) is Jason Bateman's character, who you feel empathetic toward, but you never really like as a love interest. You almost don't want him to end up with the girl because you know that in the long run, he would be a major drain on her life. My favorite thing about the script, though, is how you see Jennifer Aniston fall for her son, as any mother would, and the more she grows to like all of Jason Bateman's unlikeable characteristics in her own son, the more you can buy that she might grow to appreciate them in the man who spawned him.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-switch/31199/trailers

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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A fantastical tale about the life of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) who is born in the body of an 80 year-old man and ages backwards.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond, Tilda Swinton, Taraji Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, Elle Fanning, Jared Harris, Edith Ivey

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It’s a big, rich sprawling Hollywood movie with big Hollywood movie stars that connects nicely to themes of aging, but mainly to life. It all could have been a sappy, sentimental mess, but fortunately it’s a mostly grounded and engrossing journey about one man’s unusual life and how we all connect to the same base things in life no matter our circumstances. It reinforces how in many ways, we are the sum of all the people we meet throughout our lives, and how we become defined by those experiences and by how those people view us.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are a few ‘smiling on the inside’ moments, but it’s not a yuk-fest.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Very likely. This movie covers a lot of tear-jerking ground, so be prepared.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It’s already nominated for 5 Golden Globes including Best Picture, and it won the National Board of Review for Best Director and Best Screenplay, so it's not hard to predict that multiple Oscar nominations are in its future.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Our standards are high for actors like Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton and none of them disappoint. Pitt is astonishingly effective early in the film when his make-up applied 70 year-old face is put on the body of some other actor. He conveys so much with both his voice and eyes that you will completely forget you’re watching some of the most amazing visual-effects ever put on film. And then when you realize he’s portraying the mental age of 10 as a 70 year-old, your head might explode. It’s a heartbreaking and funny performance and Pitt has rarely been better. Since the film is something of a travelogue, it’s filled with many talented actors in smaller parts, but it all adds up to a great cast and amazing work by all.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: David Fincher has segued from serial killers (Se7en, Zodiac) into uncharted territory (for him) wonderfully. His visual style and attention to detail serve a story like this – one that spans decades – perfectly. Nothing is flashy, but it all has a rich sense of setting and his directing never gets in the way of Benjamin’s story. His staging of a WW-II event involving a tugboat and submarine is simply stunning.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Screenwriter Eric Roth also adapted Forest Gump and in a structural sense there are some similarities here, but ultimately Benjamin Button is a very different movie. This film isn’t very plot-driven but Benjamin’s life holds a lot of surprises that keep it entertaining and for the most part it never really drags, even at 2.5 hours.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: For a story that spans so much time (80 years) and uses the premise of a character aging backwards, it would be hard for the make-up effects to not be one of the film’s stars. It’s a brilliant fusion of practically applied make-up and visual effects, and it’s all seamless. Half the fun is seeing this man age (backwards and forwards), and the other half is seeing the other characters' reactions to Benjamin as he grows younger through the years. Every time Daisy (Cate Blanchett) puts a hand to her mouth in astonishment when seeing him after a few years away, you will too.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/the%20curious%20case%20of%20benjamin%20button/trailers

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