Today's collection of movie reviews includes a comedy sequel, a chick flick and a classic piece of cinema history: Casablanca. I saw Casablanca once before and thought it was boring. To be honest though, I wasn't really paying much attention. So when Brian and Michelle found out that Turner Classic Movies was bringing Casablanca to the big screen as a limited engagement, they pretty much forced me to give the film a second chance. I'm glad I did, because it was pure gold!
Jason Biggs returns as the lovably clueless and ever-horny Jim Levenstein. He and his wife Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), unfortunately, have fallen into a rut that plagues many married couples: they aren't having sex. And when it's time for their high school reunion, they think that perhaps a fun weekend will reignite that spark. Of course comedic mishaps ensue. Well, would-be comedic mishaps. Some gags are legitimately funny, but others fall flat. For fans of the original, it's fun to see all the characters reunite and cash in their paychecks. Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas and Sean William Scott are all back, but some of the greatest moments for me came from Jim's dad (Eugene Levy) meeting Stifler's mom (Jennifer Coolidge) and getting high in her bedroom. Seriously, those two are funny enough to have their own movie.
Legitimate movie critics hate this movie, but I have to admit that I turned into a teenage girl when I saw The Lucky One. I swooned every time Zac Efron came on the screen, but what surprised me the most was that I actually enjoyed all of the non-Zac-Efron parts as well. Based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, the movie is obviously cheesy. Logan (Efron) returns from war and begins a search for the girl whose picture he found while in combat. The girl, Beth (Taylor Schilling), is surprisingly easy to find and the two fall in love, despite her douchebag of an ex-husband, Keith (Jay R. Ferguson), threatening her all the while. Lots of melodrama ensues, but it's fun melodrama and you just can't help but fall in love with Logan... even if he is too perfect. I mean, he's hot, sweet and can play the piano. Blythe Danner offers nice support to the film as Beth's comical grandmother.
Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick, an American expatriate living in unoccupied Casablanca during World War II. He runs a night club and tries to stay neutral on political issues, but when an old flame, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) walks into his "gin joint," things get more complicated. Besides all the once-buried emotions flooding quickly to the surface upon their chance meeting, Ilsa now needs Rick's help to get her and her husband, the leader of the anti-Nazi movement Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), out of Casablanca and safely to America. The movie has been restored to show off the beautiful camerawork--the shadows alone give me goosebumps--and the performances onscreen are top-notch. Bogart and Bergman were truly masters of their craft, and the supporting cast, including Peter Lorre as the squirrely Ugarte and Claude Rains as the corrupt official Captain Louis Renault, are equally memorable.
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