I see too many movies with time-sequence problems, but I’m going to pick on “The Family Stone” (2005) because it’s not good enough to deserve grace. In most Christmas flicks, 79 hours of activity is packed into one day. Here, we go from “not breakfast yet” to “it’s dark out” in the span of one argument. I know sunset comes early during a New England winter, but come on. Anyway, ensemble film with too many unlikeable characters. I think it was trying to show how love keeps a big, sloppy family together, but it didn’t get me to care enough.
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Matthew McConaughey’s character isn’t particularly attractive – visually or otherwise – in “Gold” (2016). Given the fact that much of McConaughey’s popularity rests in aesthetics, it’s not surprising this movie was quickly shuffled into the discount bin at Blockbuster (theoretically, I mean, after all, the movie is set in the 1980s). That’s too bad, because if you can see through the haze of Seagram’s and Marlboro, there’s a complex and interesting story (and Bryce Dallas Howard) there. Maybe too complex (the story, not Bryce). But it’s not like you’re tired of 1980s-based films about commodities dealing (“Trading Places” was a long time ago).
I’ll say this. “Get Hard” (2015) could have been worse. A lot worse. Will Ferrell hires Kevin Hart as a life coach for impending incarceration? I was expecting another lousy Ferrell comedy, and instead I got another solid Hart comedy. With a plot! I’ve said before that Hart understands a little Kevin Hart goes a long way (and I laughed when I said it that time, too). It seems Ferrell followed his lead. They usually were able to stop after I smirked but before I rolled my eyes. Summary: simplistic plot, stupid humor, penis joke, but not a waste of time.
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