"About Last Night..." Review

"About Last Night.." (1986) (DVD)

Director: Edward Zwick

**** Rating

Based on the David Mamet's 1974 play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago", this film follows four young yuppies in 1980s Chicago as they navigate their lives and loves. This is a rare film because it shows both sides of the one night stand and relationship process as it goes from the meeting to the end or happy ending.

The film follows Danny (Rob Lowe) and Bernie (Jim Belushi), two office workers who try to break up their mundane jobs with sexual banter. This is usually nothing more than their experiences and performances in the bedroom. Bernie clearly has the funniest and most interesting stories of the two. Danny and Bernie meet Debbie (Demi Moore) and Joan (Elizabeth Perkins) at a bar and Danny and Debbie hit is off. They start a relationship from a one night stand and the film follows them through the first year of their turbulent relationship.

I think what i like most about this movie is that is focuses on real people and real situations. I really love Danny and Bernie's relationship and get the feeling that Belushi and Lowe may have been friends in real life. Or they could just be that good. Demi Moore is beautiful as always and really brings a quiet charm to the character of Debbie. A surprising highlight of the film is the Elizabeth Perkins. She puts Belushi's character in his place more than once and I think the female audience will love her. This film and the play it is based on are clearly ahead of their time, because the style of frank talk about sex between characters is used throughout the 90s and 00s. Without this film, I don't think T.V. shows like "Friends" or Seinfeld" would have existed. Watch it. Love it. I know I did.

Film Fun Fact: Elizabeth Perkins' film debut.

Remake Alert!!!: About Last Night is being remade this year, 2014...doesn't look that good.

About A Boy Review

About a Boy (2002) (DVD)

Director: Chris & Paul Weitz

*** Rating

What would you do if you never needed to work? For a person in the position of being independently wealthy, it may be viewed as a blessing and curse. Ultimately, it is the true test of one's character. One could choose a path of doing great things like saving the world and feeding the poor or they can choose to squander their good fortune and live a misspent life. This is the overall theme of About a Boy, based on the novel of the same name written by Nick Hornsby.

Will Freeman (Hugh Grant) lives a comfortable and worry free life in London, thanks to royalties gained from a Christmas song his father wrote years ago. He's asked by two friends to be the godfather for their son. He, not surprisingly, turns down their request because in his own words he really is a shallow person and couldn't put the needs of a child over his. After meeting and quickly breaking it off with a woman (Isabel Brook) he decides he will attend a single parents' meeting and hook up with a single mom. Enter Suzie (Victoria Smurfit), who he falls for and in turn befriends Fiona (Toni Collette) and her 12 year old son Marcus (Nicholas Hoult). Will and Marcus play father and son and soon enter into an adventure that will change both of them and maybe help them find the women of their dreams.

The top highlight of this movie would have to be the screenplay. It is fun and original in a genre that is usually the same idea recycled over and over. I wasn't surprised when it was nominated for Best Screenplay at the Academy Awards and believe it would have won, but The Pianist (2002) was a better film (The Pianist review coming soon). Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult have amazing chemistry and supply a lot of the laughs. Nicholas Hoult later comes to fame with his comedic roll as the zombie "R" in Warm Bodies (2013) and this movie really showcases his talent. The supporting cast of Toni Collette and Rachel Weisz is also very charming and play well with the movie's two leading men. Worth a look if you're in the mood for a funny comedy and I would also recommand the Hornsby book of the same name also.

Film Fun Fact: The title is a play on the Nirvana song About a Girl. Kurt Cobain's death also plays an important role in the plot of the book.