Shallow Hal

Rating:
Summary: Sorry, I Can't See the Humor Here
Review: Making fun of obesity is hardly cause for laughter.
Sorry, I just couldn't get past that

Rating:
Summary: Could have been better
Review: Although the morals behind this movie were meaningful, I do feel that it could have been done better and made a little more realistic.

The movie starts out with a real insensitive jerk, Hal, who only wants a woman who is stuningly beautiful and he feels this is what he deserves. In other words, he's "shallow hal." He meets a man who someone 'hypnotizes' him to see the 'innter beauty' in others. This is where the movie and I disagreed. Hypnotizing someone? Even though I did not like this aspect of the film, it still was a good laugh. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!

Rating:
Summary: I was hoping this one will be good ! I was right !
Review: Can I get one of those hipnose sessions ? To se , who is who ?! YES !!!
I am a man . I am romantic..? Only one problemo-I don't know, when . This was not a " Fargo ". This one, was not a " Powder ". Not a " 6th sence ". BUT !? After the movie , I had the same filling . I wanted to be BETTER . I actually called everybody , whom I didn't pay the money back, and said : I am sorry !( I didn't pay them yet).
Very good romantic comedy ! Perfect for the blind date .

I had to watch "Dumb and Dumber " - TOO corny . But they(Farrely's ) had potantional ."kingpin " was much better ."There's Something about Mary " was so funny sometimes , I Had to se some of the moments again , and again . " The dog electricuted " - I was louphing on the carpet for a long time , very long ! ( Was unable to get up ).
Farrely's getting better every movie . I want to se the new one . Please hurry !

Rating:
Summary: Funny Movie : Good Lesson
Review: This is a good movie to watch with a lot of people. Hillarious from the beginning to the end. Shallow Hal reminds us still that the true things in life are the ones, which we have to discover for ourselves.

Rating:
Summary: Not that funny, dumb "message"
Review: Coming from the Farrelly brothers, Shallow Hal is an utter disappointment. The laughs just aren't that rib-cracking (unlike the truly hilarious Something About Mary), and seldom rise about the typical Hollywood date-comedy formula. The supposed "message" that society needs to be more sensitive to fat people doesn't come off, either. The main character is obese because she overeats. I think society should be sensitive to people with genuine medical problems - after all, no one asks for Schizophrenia, Tourette's Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, visual or hearing impairments, etc. - but obesity is almost never in that category. Most people are fat because they eat too much, and I'm willing to bet it's a lot easier for a fat person to learn to measure their portions than it is for a Tourette's victim to stop jerking, an OCD'er to stop obsessing about germs, or a Schizophrenic to learn to ignore his tormenting voices. The whole "fat rights" thing, in my opinion, runs the risk of making Americans too fed-up with the "victimization culture," and likely to resort to far more destructive prejudices against the mentally ill, the disabled, and others who really are victims and genuinely deserve sympathy. Rosemary is just plain fat, period. She'd find love without a magic spell if she'd get that tenderloin out of her mouth and hit the gym once in a while.

Rating:
Summary: Great! Liked it!
Review: I really liked this movie. And I admit, I had low expectations.

Hal is a shallow man, but who is otherwise good, who is obsessed with obtaining a girlfriend with a 'perfect' figure. What he doesn't realize, is that by judging people by appearences he is in fact, preventing himself from meeting a lot of great people who are emotionally beautiful.

A self help guru, realizes this, and hypnotizes HAL to see everyone for their 'inner beauty.'

I really LOVED this movie. Especially the scenes when Hal meets the Peace Corps group, (thinking they are handsome). And Gwyneth's family. Gwyneth is very convincing as a character, very emotive and I love her facial expressions.

Very cute, and romantic.

Rating:
Summary: Fun fun fun...
Review: Yes, this movie is just plain fun...Gwenyth Paltrow is the most beautiful woman ever, Jack Black delivers a great performance with an equal share of heart and humor, and Jason Alexander is hilarious...As much as I love the movie, there are some things that have disturbed me...
First of all, there are some sick things such as the burn victim part which almost made me throw up, and the tail part which has continued to haunt my dreams...But most of all, I am just so sick and tired of people putting down others who are interested in a good-looking mate...A good personality is important I agree, but I wouldn't date someone who is ugly just because they have inner-beauty...Plus the message that it sends out is wrong: Beautiful people have bad personalities, ugly people have good personalities...I just think that it's the wrong message...
But this is a wonderful movie, and it's one of 2001's best...

Rating:
Summary: A comedy with a good message
Review: Shallow Hal isn't the funniest thing on Earth, but ut does have it's moments. The acting by Gwenyth Paltrow and Jack Black is great, and the plot is original. There are a few twists, and it was entertaining to see how Hal overcame several problems- many of them years old. Hal is a man who only like beautiful women, no matter what their personality is. Then he's hypnotised to only see women what they're like on the inside, leading to some hilarious moments. Shallow Hal has a great message about not caring what people look like, just about how they act and what they do. Definitely worth renting.
MY GRADE: B+

Rating:
Summary: A Rewarding Experience
Review: Without question, a lot of people are not going to like this film and are going to be put off by it. On the other hand, it's going to come as a pleasant surprise to others. The former group will be those who came to this movie hoping to find a title character to whom they can relate, thus enabling them to go on to bask in the gratification of cheap shot humor and infantile, adolescent perspectives that no doubt served them well throughout high school, and which, unfortunately, like a caterpillar unable to evolve because of some impediment of nature, they have been incapable of shedding as adults. The latter, probably after some initial resistance-- inasmuch as the Farrelly Brothers seem to be tackling a rather sensitive subject this time out (and "sensitivity" is not necessarily their milieu)-- will for whatever reason find their way to this film, only to discover that the Farrelly Brothers actually have something worthwhile to say, and moreover, that they say it extremely well. "Shallow Hal," written by Sean Moynihan, Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly, and directed by the Farrellys, uses the parlance of our times, as it were, to examine the old axiom that true beauty is, indeed, more than skin deep. It's a universal message, it's important, and it's delivered by the Farrellys with humor and poignancy, and in a way that is altogether effective.

In no small part due to some deathbed "pearls of wisdom" offered to young Hal (Sasha Neulinger) by his father, the Reverend Larson (Bruce McGill), Hal carries with him into adulthood a rather, well..."shallow" sense of what constitutes perfection, especially when it comes to the opposite, fairer sex. And, with a good friend, Mauricio (Jason Alexander), constantly reinforcing (with his own shallow perspectives) those put forth by the late Reverend Larson, it has not placed Hal (Jack Black) in good stead with the women he encounters. Relationships elude him like the proverbial sands through the hourglass, and he can't figure out why.

Then one auspicious day, on the heels of yet another rejection, Hal gets stuck in an elevator with none other than writer and motivational speaker Tony Robbins, the "Mahatma of Motivation." And, after hearing the sad story of Hal's misfortunes with women, Robbins uses his powers and wisdom to do something about it. He gives Hal a gift: The ability to see the true beauty that resides within another person, beyond the often deceptive physical attributes that are in reality no more than a facade masking who that person really is. For the first time in his life, Hal's eyes are opened, and it isn't long before he meets the most beautiful woman in the world, Rosemary Shanahan (Gwyneth Paltrow), with whom he quickly falls desperately, deeply and passionately in love. At last, he's happy; it's like a fairy tale. The question is, can this particular fairy tale possibly have a happy ending?

The Farrelly Brothers, known for their cutting edge, over-the-top visually graphic gross-out humor in such films as "There's Something About Mary" and "Me, Myself and Irene," have reined it in drastically in this one, and to great effect. To be sure, that trademark Farrelly "touch" is present (there is some bathroom/locker room humor), but in this case, it serves a purpose beyond shock value entertainment. If you've seen the trailers for this film, or any clips from it, you get the idea that this is typical Farrelly Brothers fare and that there is no way that the characters involved are going to possibly emerge unscathed from it. But what you see in those previews is basically the elements the Farrellys use to define their parameters and set up the message they want to deliver. And it works beautifully. They succeed in establishing Hal's misguided perspectives, as well as those of Mauricio, and from that base springs the emotional connection, empathy and compassion generated by the rest of the film as the story unfolds.

What we find, is that Hal isn't such a bad guy after all, once his eyes are opened; that a new perspective and changed attitude has served to reveal that better part of himself, as well as others. And that, perhaps, says something about all of us. Upon reflection, if it is possible to perceive the real beauty of another, maybe it works both ways. As this film so succinctly points out, we, as a society, have been so programmed by peer pressure, the media and all of these inconsequential external forces, to equate "beauty" with all of the wrong things, that we all suffer for it, in one way or another. And the message here is so clear: What a wonderful world it would be, if only we could all see past the meaningless things and just see one another for who and what we really are. Like a sage old man on a mountain, the Farrellys have crafted and delivered a layer cake, chocolate sundae of a movie; there's plenty of whipped cream on the top, but once you work your way to the center it's even better. It's their way of using contemporary trappings to point the way to the divine mercies and offering a taste of the rewards that go to those who are wise enough to discern their meaning, and to act upon it. Unfortunately, the "Shallow Hals" in the audience are going to get lost along the way, and it will be their loss. And that certainly is not a criticism; it's just the way it is.

As Rosemary, Gwyneth Paltrow will absolutely win your heart. It's a performance that evokes empathy and compassion to the point that you desperately do NOT want to see this girl hurt in any way. And Jack Black gives a performance that, quite frankly, is going to surprise a lot of people; there is more to him than meets the eye. In fact, that about sums up "Shallow Hal"-- a surprisingly insightful and inspirational film.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: Funny, touching and good music! I cried during the scene with the little girl. Jack Black made the movie.