The Invasion

Saturday night we decided to take in dinner and a movie with some friends. We decided to see The Invasion. Don't ask us why, just accept it. This remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers stars Nicole Kidman as a very pale skinned psychiatrist who discovers, with the help of her British doctor boyfriend (played by Daniel Craig), that the bodies and minds of the people around them are being taken over by aliens. She must rescue her son from her estranged husband, who of course has already become inhabited by the invaders. So, what did we think?

SoulTrain
I don't get Nicole Kidman anymore. Maybe she was always like this and I'm just noticing now, but she seems too... bubbly or something to play these parts. I have a hard time taking her seriously anymore. Maybe it's just the aftereffects of Bewitched. In The Invasion she seems very out of place. Of course, since she's one of only a few people who are not inhabited by aliens maybe that was the point. Either way, the movie seems too disjointed. There are long periods of build up with short bits of payoff, and it never felt like they had really decided if it should be a serious psych thriller or a campy zombie flick. They should have picked one, as it had potential on both counts. Daniel Craig's character was confusing (through no fault of his own). I was very unclear for most of the movie as to the relationship he had with Nicole Kidman's character. Additionally a number of cuts and flashbacks were used in a very confusing way, and as a result I had a hard time staying interested.

The biggest problem I had, though, was the overt preachiness of this movie. There are several very blatant bits where the film refers to the possibility that the removal of humanity's indiviuality would eliminate war (specifically the ongoing war and tension in our current world). Some of the "background" news reports hit on this so hard that they are written in the most unbelievable manner I can possibly imagine.

Bottom line, The Invasion was far too preachy and tries far too hard to shock us. I give it 2 out of 5.

SoulTrain's Wife

Well, SoulTrain basically said it all. I hate to say it, but I actually disliked this movie more than he did. I just found myself laughing when I wasn't supposed to be laughing, just at the absurdity of it all. And as for Nicole Kidman's "acting"...it just feels to me like they said...ok everyone, Ms. Kidman here is a tad discouraged that she still hasn't figured out how to act...that's why this Body Snatchers concept is the perfect cover...everyone just...act...bland. No facial expressions, as little movement as possible, do everything you can to make it seem like she's an acting dynamo. Oh, and please, please don't tease her that she hasn't figured out how to keep one consistent accent through an entire movie yet.

I really shouldn't be so harsh. I wasn't expecting much. I give it 1 out of 5.

Music and Lyrics

Yes, this is an inauspicious movie with which to start our review blog. Not exactly a blockbuster, or an indie surprise. But it is what we watched last night, and that's what this blog is: whatever we watch. So, here is our take on Music and Lyrics.

Alex Fletcher (played by Hugh Grant) is a has been British pop star, sort of like the other guy from Wham. He is offered a chance to write a song for the current pop sensation, Cora (played by Haley Bennett), but needs a lyricist to help. He winds up working with Sophie Fisher (played by Drew Barrymore), a flaky girl he meets while she is filling in for the girl who normally waters his plants. She has a hidden talent for writing good lyrics, but her past makes her reluctant to do so. Fletcher coaxes her to come out of her shell and a romantic comedy ensues. That's the basics.

SoulTrain
First off, in the interest of full disclosure I feel I should tell you. I like Hugh Grant. I'm not gay for him or anything, but I think he is a decent actor and has a penchant for playing characters who I can relate to. He generally starts out as some kind of loser type who has a good sense of humor, and then learns the true meaning of life by the end of the picture. This one is no different.

I liked this movie for what it was. It was fun, followed the formula and didn't make me think too hard. Grant was good in a role he should be comfortable with by now. And Brad Garrett was just about the right amount of comic relief as his manager. Drew Barrymore, on the other hand, was a bit overplayed in this one. From her introduction, when she arrives to water the plants, she comes across as flaky (which I am sure is what writer Marc Lawrence intended). But her flakiness seems forced and feels like one bit followed by another, with no fluidity. She settles in a bit as the movie goes on, but for me the damage was already done. It was a predictable plot, but that doesn't bother me. I've seen enough movies by now to know that a reasonably small percentage of them will surprise me.

I give this movie 3 out of 5. It was average, but worth watching.

SoulTrain's Wife

Just seeing Hugh Grant shake his ass (and more) in 80s fashion was enough to win me over on this one. I was surprised and pleased by the chemistry between Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore in this movie...both are favorites of mine for very different reasons. I was nervous about seeing them in a romantic comedy together, but glad it worked out so well. The real stars of the show, however, were Kristen Johnston (as Sophie's sister and obsessive Alex-fan) who brought over-the-top and somewhat embarassing-at-times zaniness to every scene she was in, and Brad Garrett (playing Alex's agent), who brought the much-needed serenity and dry wit. Haley Bennett's performance (as Cora, the Britney/Shakira wannabe) was over the top and annoying. I see what they were trying to do, but I think the extreme to which she played her character was a tad unnecessary and actually took a bit away from the movie for me. The movie wrapped up well...it ended with the same feel as it began, with the pop-up video style storytelling perfectly mirroring the music video from the opening sequence. Overall, a charming movie.

I also give this movie a 3 out of 5.