Ten foot tall Alex... nothing disappointing possible there.
Yeah, vagina vagina vagina... and f*ck, and Linda Lavin also says douchebag. Funny that all the worst words are said by the oldest actors...
I think most of the reviewers just misunderstood most of the film, to be honest. Those that critiqued it as unrealistic that JLo would still be unattached, cos she's too hot, did not pay attention to the part where she said she's dated 100's of guys. But hasn't found the one. She's picky. Which also explains why RL Alex is still single. Gods and goddesses can be picky if they wanna be.
Those who bitched that the cab scene is too contrived... I thought it was far funnier than I expected it to be. The SECOND cab scene was contrived, but the meet in the cab scene wasn't overly cute... and Alex did a FINE job of acting like a stereotypical New Yorker there.
Those who bitched that the movie contrived to break em up so it could get em back together... were just wrong. They never really broke up til after the water birth. The other times were just Stan working out if he could do this... and they were in fact natural pause points in the relationship, but they never broke up during those times. AND those who bitched that Stan was too perfect were all men... cos he wasn't. He was a pretty typical (albeit Greek god-like) regular guy. And that scene after the water birth, again, another really natural reaction from a guy. Zoe over-reacted... but the movie had set it up that she'd cut and run... and SHE did. He NEVER did.
So the critics did not pay attention. I've seen it twice now. And trust me, I paid attention.
BTW... yeah the women's support group was over the top, but so was Mona, as the Mom (and I identified with HER the most in the film; I AM her... I wish I had gotten to PLAY her, cos then I coulda met Alex... but I digress...) as it is a comedy and support characters are usually a bit exaggerated. And I knew a woman who nursed her kid until it was 3. It was gross. But I got a lot of crunchy-granola friends and, frankly, they are odd. I love em, but they're frikkin odd. And I don't eat their food... they try to sneak wheat grass into too much of it...
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wpgrace wrote:Ten foot tall Alex... nothing disappointing possible there.
Yeah, vagina vagina vagina... and f*ck, and Linda Lavin also says douchebag. Funny that all the worst words are said by the oldest actors...
I think most of the reviewers just misunderstood most of the film, to be honest. Those that critiqued it as unrealistic that JLo would still be unattached, cos she's too hot, did not pay attention to the part where she said she's dated 100's of guys. But hasn't found the one. She's picky. Which also explains why RL Alex is still single. Gods and goddesses can be picky if they wanna be.
Those who bitched that the cab scene is too contrived... I thought it was far funnier than I expected it to be. The SECOND cab scene was contrived, but the meet in the cab scene wasn't overly cute... and Alex did a FINE job of acting like a stereotypical New Yorker there.
Those who bitched that the movie contrived to break em up so it could get em back together... were just wrong. They never really broke up til after the water birth. The other times were just Stan working out if he could do this... and they were in fact natural pause points in the relationship, but they never broke up during those times. AND those who bitched that Stan was too perfect were all men... cos he wasn't. He was a pretty typical (albeit Greek god-like) regular guy. And that scene after the water birth, again, another really natural reaction from a guy. Zoe over-reacted... but the movie had set it up that she'd cut and run... and SHE did. He NEVER did.
So the critics did not pay attention. I've seen it twice now. And trust me, I paid attention.
BTW... yeah the women's support group was over the top, but so was Mona, as the Mom (and I identified with HER the most in the film; I AM her... I wish I had gotten to PLAY her, cos then I coulda met Alex... but I digress...) as it is a comedy and support characters are usually a bit exaggerated. And I knew a woman who nursed her kid until it was 3. It was gross. But I got a lot of crunchy-granola friends and, frankly, they are odd. I love em, but they're frikkin odd. And I don't eat their food... they try to sneak wheat grass into too much of it...
You friggin' crack me up!! That last paragraph I actually read out loud to Mr Fleur--that he appreciates your snarky sense of humor, too.
What I love about all of 'us' is that we are smart, rational beings--for the most part. Even though we adore Alex, we can still find fault with the movie: weaknesses, missed opportunities,etc. Perhaps fans with half a brain should start doing all the reviewing.
This is reminding me of my monthly book club discussion group--and I love it. Something that hasn't gotten much attention, that grace mentioned, is that Stan was the one who had to really make the most changes and adapt. The focus was on Zoe being pregnant, but really, I thought the bigger picture was the reality of a man coming to grips with falling in love with this woman and finding out she is pregnant, with twins no less, and trying to wrap his brain around that fact, when he is still trying to get his own life in order. That is scary. That is life altering. And I thought that the movie did a great job of showing his mind-set during all of this. I didn't fault him one bit for his choice of words during the Farmer's Market conversation when he says they aren't his babies. It might have been a poor choice of words, but this dude got thrown into a maelstorm. To have to make such a huge decision so early on in their fledgling relationship, that's hard. Of course there would be adjustments, not just in his life, but in his thinking. And the scene where he is up during the middle of the night making copious amounts of pancakes?? He was befuddled beyond measure.
Many subtle and not so subtle attempts were made to show that Zoe had abandonment issues, and the fact that Stan was scared out of his mind, but still telling her he wasn't going to leave says a lot about the type of man he is. I wish more of the critics would have explored this dynamic.
Going to have an organic wheat grass smoothie with my granola now.
Yeah, well I'm fixin to eat an EggMcMuffin... with hash browns and a latte. It's my day off.
I LOVE that pancake scene!!! Could you not just have hugged him to DEATH in that scene???
And fans with half a brain.... When HE is on screen, that IS about all the brain I got... the blood and oxygen seem to be rushing elsewhere...
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If you read a lot of books you are considered well read. But if you watch a lot of TV, you're not considered well viewed. Lilly Tomlin
wpgrace wrote: And the scene where he is up during the middle of the night making copious amounts of pancakes?? He was befuddled beyond measure.
I thought this was one of the more realistic scenes in the movie because people do some weird stuff when they are under a great deal of stress and pressure. Stan wanted to provide for Zoe and the babies but didn't know how he was going to do it. Making pancakes was the only way he could think to provide for them at that moment that didn't overwhelm him. I really loved that scene. What a sweetheart.
nutmegger911 wrote:There were several comments by folks who had seen advance clips that indicated possibly a level of disappointment on some level.
Question for those who were in on the advance discussion: What role, if any, do you think keeping up on all pre release discussion (and advance clips) had in that?
Another question (survey): If you participated in the advance discussion threads what was your reaction to the movie?
Early on, I gratefully viewed any video clip and interview that came my way, eager to see how the movie was shaping up. As the movie got nearer to opening, I stopped viewing the clips and interviews as I was worried I had already seen the best parts of the film. After a while, the interviews became somewhat repetitious, same questions, different interviewer.
I also actively participated in discussions of said clips and interviews and enjoyed every minute of it.
Did any of that have an adverse impact on my reaction to the movie? Not at all. Some of the clips we saw were redone for the final cut of the movie, so it was interesting to me to ponder why one version was chosen over another. Yet nothing prepared me for the 'Awwww moment' near the end of the flick, where Stan is reading to his daughters. I would love to see the outtakes on that or even the setup for that scene.
Seeing the clips out of context, or isolated from the rest of the movie made me appreciate the editing that goes on. For instance, after the birthing scene, we've all seen Stan and Zoe walking away, dazed and glazed, with Stan going 'I shouldn't have seen that!' What I was expecting afterward was nothing like what happened. Both characters were frightened by what they saw and that fear was a catalyst for the ensuing argument that led to Zoe pushing Stan away....didn't see that coming.
Was I disappointed in the movie? Again, no, because I knew what I was getting into - a romcom. Having seen it now, what I would say is that I would have played the single mothers stuff a little differently as alle, cassey and fleur have indicated. They all came off as a bit wacko. I, too, would have liked to see Nana have a bit more screen time.
It sounds as though they work to insure the advance clips are far enough out of context that it won't give it all away. You mentioned wondering why they had changed certain earlier clips. Do you think that enhanced the moviegoing experience? (more to think about/discuss, insights into the artistic process, etc.)
Also, does the genre make a difference? One of the great things in a rom com (after chemistry between the leads) is the gags. I saw the ad where JLo crashes the car. (for some reason I was unable to look away from that ad) When I saw it in the the theatre it was like, here it comes, here it comes, (obvioiusly no surprise for me at the punch line).
NM911 LIVE WIDE It ain't canon until they've shot it (and aired it) - I said that. Trust the Muse. - Catmoon The system isn't broken, it's fixed. - Billo
I watched it. Yeah, I know, it’s not supposed to be out in Germany yet, but I didn’t want to miss the discussion and so I succumbed to temptation.
Now, you have to take into account that I didn’t see it on the big screen and with friends. So, some of the jokes that fell flat for me might have been funnier in the theatre. With that disclaimer, here’s my review.
OMG, I lovved it!!!!! And not only for Alex, but he was by far the most interesting character in there. I haven’t seen anything with JLo before, and I’m not very fond of romcoms, even when my sister or my best friend drag me into them. But this one was really lovely. It was your standard romcom fare, of course it was, and yet it wasn’t. Because the story of how these two find together had so many real issues involved, and the lead actors were fantastic in showing the drama behind the jokes.
That said, the editing was choppy at places, and I really missed some scenes that I (spoiler ho that I am) have seen in previews. The editing took some funny out of it, and made it hard to believe that the time span was a year. I sometimes didn’t get that from one scene to another there was supposed to be a time lapse.
I love the story arc of Zoe wanting to have kids alone, then meeting this cute guy, then falling for him, then telling him about the pregnancy (that was one of the best scenes for me, Zoe crying and pleading with Stan to understand, which understandably he could not yet), then pushing him away, totally confused that her plans didn’t work out, talking to her Nana about it and getting good advice, confronted with what she should do when her Nana plans her own wedding, and later clinging to Stan and wanting him back when she’s about to give birth, then accepting the fact that he is there to stay. I loved the scene in the dumpster when she told Mona that she wanted a kid to not be all alone, yet unable to let someone really in and pushing Stan away.
I love Stan’s story arc even more, of him meeting this interesting and passionate independent woman, whom he has to court a lot, which makes it so interesting, taking her on creative dates, then finding out she’s pregnant and freaking out, committing to her even when she doesn’t commit back, working his freaking ass off in an endearingly old-fashioned attempt to provide for the family he’s suddenly having, and making pancakes in his panic, only to be told off by his love that she will provide and he’s not supposed to, freaking out some more about the water birth. The scene at the market when they break up had me in tears. And then when he finally gets her back when she gives birth, and his frantic, heartfelt, emotional speech that he’s fully committed! And then the scenes with the babies and the fact that he’s found his dream and opened a store and Zoe said yes to his proposal! I loved it. Stan was so insecure and floating in the beginning, playing it coy and confident for Zoe but with a huge load of problems and unsolved emotions. And in the end he was really confident, the speech at the store opening was quite another character. Alex is soooo great!
So, this was the drama. I want drama in a movie, because the funny needs to be within a context. I really think the movie succeeded in balancing it out, except that it only started to get really good around 1/3 into the movie. The first part didn’t sit right with me, the jokes were flat and didn’t have enough life in them.
The funny that I liked was the little cute dog and when it puked the test out, Zoe’s friends in the pet shop, the scene where Stan and Zoe have the water fight, the pillow thing, the water birth, the cab scene, the chicken in the hair scene, the playground guy, the cheesy orgasm, when she crashed the car, when she told Nana she’s pregnant (living with deaf people isn’t that funny in real life), and the last scene where she pukes. In other words, most of the funny was already in previews, but seeing them in context made them better.
I didn’t like that they cut out Stan bringing the takeout and the pregnancy books, and that they cut out his “I love you” before she pukes. That was funny because his reaction “That was not the answer I was hoping for” was really great. But they changed it, probably to give it more drama. And I think the way he delivered the I love you line was kind of cheesy (yeah, I know, Alex is perfect, but this one line didn’t work for me).
Now on to the hot: every kiss they had was so passionate and felt real. Stan’s shirtless scenes were all something to behold. The scene later where he throws out the pillow and starts kissing her was hot. And the making out in the car.
In other words, seeing Stan kiss was something that made my toes curl in a very good way. The romantic scenes worked for me, the penny and the dates and getting to know each other, that was well done.
I can’t wait to see it on the big screen in May. And I’ll buy the DVD. And discuss it some more. I don’t care about box offices and stuff, Alex has a big hit on his hands here. He did well, he can be proud of this movie, and now people know him. This was a great week for Alex and for us.
Last edited by francis on Sun Apr 25, 2010 3:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The pancake scene was one of the most endearing in the film.
Oh Grace, I think the second cab scene was Stan setting Zoe up. I think he called the shop and created an "emergency" that he was sure would have her hailing a cab.
NM911 LIVE WIDE It ain't canon until they've shot it (and aired it) - I said that. Trust the Muse. - Catmoon The system isn't broken, it's fixed. - Billo
wpgrace wrote: And the scene where he is up during the middle of the night making copious amounts of pancakes?? He was befuddled beyond measure.
I thought this was one of the more realistic scenes in the movie because people do some weird stuff when they are under a great deal of stress and pressure. Stan wanted to provide for Zoe and the babies but didn't know how he was going to do it. Making pancakes was the only way he could think to provide for them at that moment that didn't overwhelm him. I really loved that scene. What a sweetheart.
Yes. This scene showed how truly flustered he was while at the same time continuing to prove himself as a sweet, caring man. All of the worrying over finances, his job--all that added so much realism to the situation, especially b/c it seemed as if Zoe wasn't particularly concerned with those things. I suppose that shows that it was a balanced relationship in the sense that her focus was on being healthy, nuturing herself and preparing for the birth, by going to the support group, reading the books, talking to friends, purchasing the right baby bottles, etc, while his focus was more on the practical matters: how having the babies was going to change their relationship (the scene in bed when he asked if she was still 'in there'---LOVED that scene), the housing situation, his job, if he was going to continue going to night school, the financial impact of raising kids. For a not-so-traditional situation, they really both had traditional roles.
God. I could go on forever dissecting this film! If I go on too much, please do not hesitate to tell me to shut the hell up.
ETA: My goodness, francis. That was an amazing review/re-cap! You said it all honey, and very well, I might add!
Last edited by Fleur de Lisa on Sun Apr 25, 2010 3:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
NM911 LIVE WIDE It ain't canon until they've shot it (and aired it) - I said that. Trust the Muse. - Catmoon The system isn't broken, it's fixed. - Billo
How much do I love the idea of Mandy and Michael going to see that movie and exchanging quiet squees in the theater?! Soooo cute...
About whether he will become the next new rom-com guy... I don't think he wants to do that. At the Australians in Film event, Alex said he doesn't like to do the same thing twice. This was in the context of Luna's question to him, about how he wants to balance his career between doing work that pays the bills and work that he finds meaningful. He said that one of the most important things to him in terms of his career is diversity of work. (I was really struck by that phrase, so I remember it vividly.) He said, "I don't like to do the same thing twice." And, specific to romantic comedies, he said (I'm paraphrasing here): "A bunch of romantic comedies have been sent to me even though this movie's not even out yet, and some of them look kind of intelligent, but I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do - do I just go straight into another movie in the exact same genre? You’ve got to be careful with those kinds of choices."
Alex doesn't want to be a rom-com king. He wants to grow as an actor and he wants to keep doing interesting and different things. So I'd be surprised if he did another rom-com right away.
I'd like to see him in a gritty role one day soon. One where he's not "pretty" at all. ('Cause I'm fighting with Pgal for president of the "Alex is a good actor too!" club.) Something the equivalent of what "Philadelphia" was for Tom Hanks. THAT would show 'em what kind of actor he is. But maybe he needs to do some more commercial stuff first...
Indeed he has been released, and while the author may have had one or two before the movie, it probably put her in the right mood for a rom com. I do have to compliment her on her rather witty comment. That's a keeper.
That said, while I have been rather vocal in my *ahem* 'appreciation' of the man's physical beauty, I hope to hell that he gets recognized for more than just his physique. For an actor that most Americans know from television as either a detective, a vampire or a doctor, Alex did get to demonstrate his acting ability in BUP well beyond what most know him for.
If I'd never seen Oyster Farmer, I wouldn't have guessed he could do comedy - robbing the fish market with a frozen lobster then eating his mask, proved he can. In BUP, he got to do more of that.
If I hadn't seen Mary Bryant, I wouldn't have known the depth of love and family he could portray, and the pain Will felt as Mary gave herself in order to gain their freedom. In BUP, if you're not moved by the scene when Stan reads to his daughters, check your pulse. You might not have one.
If I hadn't seen Feed, I wouldn't have understood just how well he can play a psychotic who wears the mask of a 'normal' human being when it suits him. In BUP, Stan exhibits a whole range of emotion, from besotted to charming, to bemused, to frightened and ultimately to being a man at peace with the life he now has.
Most Americans aren't aware of the above three movies, but perhaps after BUP, there might be more interest in the big screen roles he's played in the past.
I just wonder what comes next.......
ETA - alle - I really wouldn't want to see him become rom com king....he's got much more talent and depth than that....I'm with you on wanting to see him in a grittier role.
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Soooo cute...
