Going the Distance

imdb link  Photos

Plot: Erin meets Garrett while she is working in New York as an intern, and they fall in love. When summer is over she goes back to San Francisco, and they have a long distance relationship punctuated by phone calls, texting, and plane rides. Erin and Garrett have side-plots with Garrett's goofy friends and Erin's compulsive sister. By the end of the movie, they need to decide whether they break up or move. 

Review: Going the Distance is a nice light comedy with some fresh situations and clever jokes. While it is a romance, it is not like all the other love stories because it has enough clever twists and strange friends providing entertaining distractions.

Drew Barrymore's acting is strong, but Justin Long is only OK. He needs a better haircut too. I liked Christina Applegate as Erin's compulsive sister. I liked the chemistry between Garrett's friends, and Charlie Day as roommate Dan was pretty funny.

The movie keeps moving; the jokes are pretty good; and overall it was a positive movie going experience. This is better than most light romances, so I recommend it.

Cast: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long

Directed by: Nanette Burstein; written by Goeff LaTulippe - his first movie

Rating: 2.5 flasks; likeable, fun but not great.


More: I liked roommate Dan playing DJ for the date -- that was reliably funny.

.

The American

imdb link  Photos

Plot:  An underworld killer and gunsmith is being hunted by Swedish assassins, so Jack (George Clooney) shoots his girlfriend to cover his tracks and treks to a mountain town in Northern Italy to hide. His boss sends him a client, Ingrid (Irina Bjoeklund) for whom he makes a specialty rifle. He meets Clara (Violante Placido) in Italy and flirts with her.

Review: This is a patient drama about how a cartoonish killer might respond if suddenly dropped into a art school film. Clooney plays a his assassin/gunsmith as a deeply repressed and flinty tough guy. The camera spends the first half of the film staring deeply into his wrinkled face looking for emotion.  We don't find much emotion or motivation.

Why does this guy kill so many people? It does not seem to be to fund his cool lifestyle. It is not for his friends, his family, his country. He's not being blackmailed.

The film has a long sex scene that is supposed to show Jacks and Clara's developing affection, but it seems gratuitous. The skinny dipping scene is better in that Clara's playing in the idyllic lake is contrasted with murderous intentions (we imagine) the characters are thinking.

There are some highlights. The scenery is pretty, especially the city scenes. I want to go visit Italy. Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli,) the local priest is a bright spot. Those scenes were interesting; even  if Paulo Bonacelli's hairy and flabby face was pretty gross.

!!MAJOR SPOILER!! What is the point of this movie?  Are we watching a cartoonish killer turn from girlfriend slayer to co-worker and boss killer? Is that moral progress? Are we supposed to be impressed that he gets teary when he is wounded? Is he crying for himself?

Cast: George Clooney, Violante Placido

Directed by: Anton Corbijn; based on the novel by Martin Booth

Rating: 1.5 flasks; dull enough for one star; overwrought; basically pointless.


More: George Clooney fans will probably be severely disappointed.

Even more: Other critics has called this movie slow and silent. I did not have a problem with the pacing or the minimum of dialog.
.