Alex & Emma (Widescreen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: It's quiet - TOO quiet. - but great!
Review: I liked this movie. I liked the low-key tempo, I liked the easy familiarity of both the actors and their characters, and I liked how their relationship in real life was reflected by the characters in the book. I especially liked that both actors, and their characters were so likable that it was like sitting down for an hour-and-a-half with some old friends and just relaxing.

This was never meant to be An Officer and a Gentleman or Casablanca. This wasn't a story about histrionics and/or sparks flying. This was meant to be, and is, a story about two people with flaws, who find them to be complimentary. You can see it in the way they immediately fall into an old relationship pattern of taking shots at one another, criticising each other, but not taking it too seriously, rather passing it off as just them being them. You also see it in the way they continue to write or talk to each other as they use the toilet, eat, etc.

The changing relationship can be most clearly seen (from Alex's viewpoint) in the changing of the characters Kate Hudson plays in the book - from the (pain in the a**) au pair Ylva, to the interested confidant Elsa (both deliberately overacted by Kate to indicate Alex's current vision of her), to the absolutely adorable Anna, the love interest. And, of course Emma is very defensive of these characters throughout, thereby revealing her feelings about Adam/Alex. This is validated in the final scene as Alex/Emma interchange with Adam/Anna, personally and in time.

Not every movie has to leave you breathless, crying, hyped - whatever. Some, like this one, are just meant to be enjoyed, and leave you relaxed and feeling good. There's no harm in that - I've spent far more time and money for far less return.

The ultimate message here is that you don't necessarily have to stop chasing your dream, just be sure it's the RIGHT dream.

Rating:
Summary: WRITER'S BLOCK
Review: I can see it all now: a screen writer with a deadline facing a blank page.... All of a sudden - IDEA! - "I'll write a screen play about 'writer's block'! I'll just change it to be writer's block about writing a book, not writer's block about writing a screenplay. I'll just put in any stupid plot idea that pops into my head, a French woman and a Swedish woman, no, make that a German woman, with stupid names too, let's see - 'Ylva' - that's a good one... and nobody will catch on. The audience is too dumb to notice anything like that. And then I'll see if I can sell it to some sucker in Hollywood who wants to try something 'different'.... If they just get two good-looking young actors as leads... wow, I'll make a million!"