Monday, December 5, 2011

New Year's Eve



"New Year's Eve" comes from the same writing and directing tandem of Garry Marshall and Katherine Fugate who also brought us the film "Valentine's Day" (2010). The style of telling the story has been done so often the last several years that it almost is nauseating seeing it done again. The film is a simple dramatic rom-com that applies multiple stories and clichés allowing for a failed story to be overshadowed by another and allowing for a wider specter of fans to find something to relate to.

There are more celebrities in this film than in rehab. When you have this many stars and overlapping stories, it leaves less time for character development. The performances in the film are all over the place. Some of the younger actors struggled to deliver anything worth watching, but some of the veterans that have developed a sense of comic timing were able to shine and make the film almost bearable. There are a few good one-liners here and there, but nothing really worth remembering. The stories follow the clichés that you can expect including the lost love, the first kiss, the resolutions, the first new born, family and traditions. None of the stories really connected, but there was an attempt at having a common message that everyone deserves another chance.

The only performances in the film that stood out for me were from Jessica Biel/Seth Meyers as a married couple expecting their first child and competing against Sarah Paulson/Til Schweiger to be the first new born baby of the year. It seemed as if there was more improv used and less script, which allowed for it to flow better and feel less forced like other stories seemed to be doing. The only other performance worth mentioning was from Robert DeNiro as a patient with one last wish to see the New York City New Years ball drop. How he connects to some of the other stories is interesting and one of the few redeaming aspects in the film.

If you want to see more performances from this group then you can find Sarah Paulson in "Martha, Marcy May, Marlene", Til Schweiger in "Three Musketeers" and Robert DeNiro in "Limitless".

The film is entertaining, but there are so many better films out there that you could enjoy. If you want to see a romantic comedy there have been some decent ones during the year, so why not go to Redbox or Netflix; grab a bottle of wine, chocolate and some Chinese take-out; and snuggle up on the couch with someone under a blanket and enjoy the privacy. But don't take my word for it; I am more of a Labor Day kind of guy. NYE is only a 2 Quack film, but worth a lot more if you go see it in the theater with the right person.



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