Still catching up from last year - Smart People

i guess i just love independent films, and i love them when they are written well.

smart people has some of the greatest, intelligent-people dialogue and it makes it so clever and witty and to be honest, one you might need to watch with subtitles to catch all the snippets of humor embedded deep. there are just some moments that are so stinkin funny...

quotable quotes:
Vanessa Wetherhold: [stressed] I'm in an after-school special.

Lawrence Wetherhold: Why would you have a baby with me?
Janet Hartigan: Because you don't know how to properly use a condom.
Lawrence Wetherhold: Point taken.

Lawrence Wetherhold: You're a giant toddler!

Vanessa Wetherhold: You should really make your bed. It sets the tone for the day.
Chuck Wetherhold: But, how do you know what tone I was trying to set?

little ellen page is a juno-wit-type character, just as snappy and fun to watch, though with an opposite set of traits: NHS, high SATs... she is a brainer, which just makes it funny. the interesting ones to watch are the Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker match up. they are so unassuming, and still when it is done you almost don't see it... but it works for what they need it too, i guess. (lets be honest though, who doesn't want to have hair just like her.. long, wavy... yummy. or like meg's in women... anyway, i digress.)

again, why i love indie films is cause they move a a closer-to-reality pace than a romantic comedy or even a drama would. they don't try to embellish more than needful. and both of these actors played roles that were uncommon to them: quaid as a pompous jerk with almost no charm, and parker as one who could melt into the film instead of bubble her way into the forefront. (not that i believe she does this on purpose, but something about her look and/or acting gives off a vibe that really pulls me out of films that she is in sometimes. she is just too jumpy or bubbly or fake or something... but i loved it. then, on the other hand, she was quirky in family stone, and i loved that one...)

anyway, that's all i had on that one.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 3/5

don't buy it, netflicks it though- a great lazy homealoner.

another new-ish review: Ms. Pettigrew Lives for a Day

this goes to show how powerful the previews are. i saw the preview for this one whilst watching atonement and i instantly put it on my queue.

i thought i would love the movie because i adore amy adams. i thought it was going to be a kind of witty, period piece that would interesting to see. but the fairly new director gave me something i didn't expect.

amy was fun and all, but it was ms pettigrew (Francis McDormand) who shined for me. she was just a joy to watch. not to mention my new crush from pushing daisies: Lee Pace. what an adorably charming actor. he's just fresh and new and great on screen. also noteworthy are the supporting roles Ciarán Hinds & Shirley Henderson (moaning murtle), who were both fun additions to the little farse.

i love the kind of movie that throws me in media res and gives me way too much information to handle so i am just as lost as the character they want me to identify with. i love that we figure life out at the same time ms. pettrigrew does. it isn't an extrodinarily deep film, it doesn't change your life. but you will wish you lived in the forties because of the fun costumes and bars, and you will wish you had a guy like lee to be the one that knocks some sense into you. yes, it is a blatant chick flick, yes it is slightly an indulgent one, and yes, i squealed a few times... so worth it.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 3.5/5

and yes, this is an owner for me.
can't have too many girly uppity films in your stash.
unless it is another one of those she's-from-new-york-and-a-magazine-editor-or-something-and-yadda-yadda-perfect-life films... then you don't need it. you have five of those already.

New-ish movie Review -- Atonement

stunningly beautiful

cinematically captivating

this story is so compelling that it begged to be told. the performances of Kiera Nightley and the oldest briony, played by Vanessa Redgrave were exceptional. i thought kiera's lover, played by James McAvoy was a little bland. that could be simply a director's choice, but then again, maybe not. I mean, his last noteworthy performance was as a faun.

this is one of those movies that you are not necessarily on the edge of your seat, but your insides are. it is easy to become invested in a little girl's childish lie and it is easy to take the story for face value, just as it is told. so when you find that there is no redemption, it begs the question: then why "atonement?" and it is suddenly no longer just a pretty film. it truly asks the audience to think about the stories we tell and how they affect those in our world.

noteworthy technical elements: costuming and lighting. i kept praising the use of color and fabric... and that green dress.... hello! and even though the period felt more like an interpretation than an accurate representation, i loved the womens' clothes, from the nurse's uniforms down to kiera's swimsuit. the lighting played with the concept of harsh situations vs. the innocence of a child and told the story as well. the young girl always looked like a painting, perfect and hazed, and the rest of her world that she wrote about was bright and in sharp contrasted lighting. irony in lights? loved it.

the war scenes are an interpretation of WWII that you would never have thought to imagine. the lay-out, the colors, the mood of it all, is one that I have not seen a comparison.

as far as the rating, i don't recall why it was even given a Restricted rating, unless it was to purposely grab a mature audience to handle the content. there is some war violence and mature situations is what i believe it was labeled.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 5/5

oh. and atonement is one to own.
a possibly powerful, thought-provoker, so it might be an
only-a-few-times-a-year kind of flick,
but it should live on your shelf nonetheless.

oh. it also should have won best picture last year.
but maybe i should see the winner first prior to
making just a bold statement. ok, i will...
but i still think it.

Old School Movie Review #10 -- Baby Mama

I guess I can hardly call this one "old school" cause it still feels so recent. Maybe its just that I love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler more than I can describe. They are both so much fun in the Baby Mama, and though both of them are similar characters than we've seen, you buy em and fall in love with both of them so fast.

The plot is expected, not much of it is a surprise, but the dialogue is witty and hilarious and some of the extra characters make it a serious kick in the pants.
Tina's boss, for example, is a very granola/borderline Fabio played by a starting-to-look-sort-of-old Steve Martin.

It is the perfect example of what happens when a good writer sits down and defines characters well and then envisions only the most devastatingly hilarious things for them to say. It also has a little chick flicky/heart warming side too so it was good times all over. I recommend it to anyone.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 4/5

This one could be a renter or an owner. maybe and owner for me.

adrenaline in pure form------ New Movie Review #5

Without allowing any previous knowledge from any outside source I scurried into my assigned seat at the 12:15am show. (Yes, we anxiously sat in out seats, with giddy fingers rocking back and forth with childish excitement)

I had heard things like, "his performance is Oscar-worthy" and "best work either of them (& Bale) have done..."

I caught myself with my jaw dropped on more than one occasion. Why?
1) I honestly had to remind myself that the man behind that brilliant make-up job really was Heath Ledger. It has been a long while since I have fallen in love with a villain because he is simply so brilliant at being one. But he is. I am convinced that his ratio of brilliant moments that were directed vs the moments that he invented on intuition were 90:10. What a loveable hated man. And it is such a contrast to his previous work that it does in fact stand out. I honestly believe that were he to live longer, he would've had been able to show us more of this side of him. The side that can morph into unsuspecting characters in the way that only Johnny Depp has been able to.


2) The FX in this film laugh at the first, less because they are finely crafted and real-looking CGI and more because they are just so unexpected. My small bladder could honestly barely take it.

3) Christian Bale, I think it goes without saying: you ARE Batman. The reality of all of the facets of his life unfold and the character is so much deeper now. Also a favorite is Commissioner Gordon whom you will eat up from the start. Maggie Gyllenhaal on the other hand, is a sketchy cast for me, (what with the saggy cheeks and awkward mouth movements and all) but she serves her purpose well enough so as not to distract from the angry men that we are so invested in. I mean, better than Katie Holmes, but this ain't no Star Wars III- no excuses for under-par performance.

My hands were tightly secured in my armpits for most of the duration of the film and when they weren't there, they were checking the underside of my seat-- I was sure it was hydraulicized. Honestly it was a ride, a never-ending-and-wished-it-wouldn't ride that was beautifully underscored by a sub woofer embedded in my seat. Lets put it this way: do not bring your 12-year-old boy to see Dark Knight unless you want to hear girlish squealing... it is called "dark" for a reason. You find yourself giddy and squirmy at every explosion and every bad guy that gets blown up... sure it's real good for teenagers. Here's me-- not caring.

My commitment I made this morning at 3:00am: I will see this film 3 more times in theaters, and any time following will be in an equally stunning, sound-infused/large screen environment... or forget it. It just wouldn't be fair-- even to the key grip.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 5/5

Raising Arizona ----- Old School Movie Review #8

i love movies. there-- said it.


i can't help myself when they tell me that they are going to show fun movies-- outdoors-- at sundance-- for free.


thanks- i will be there.


last night i went and saw "Raising Arizona" and i have to say that the Coen brothers continue to entertain me. i love the humor in the over-dramatic stereotype of southwestern hicks. cage is so brilliantly white trash and the dialogue could be comprable at times to my Diablo Cody's wit. i enjoyed it thoroughly and will be attending many more of these films.

i thank you.

[Evelle is buying diapers]
Evelle: You know how to put these things on?
Grocer: Well, around the butt and up over the groin area.
Evelle: I know WHERE they go, old timer. I just want to know if I need pins or fasteners.
Grocer: Well, no, they got them tape-ettes already on there. It's self-contained and fairly explanatory.

Policeman: Do you have any disgruntled employees?
Nathan Arizona Sr: Hell, they're all disgruntled. I ain't running no damn daisy farm. My motto is "Do it my way or watch your butt!"
Policeman: Well, do you think any of them could've done it?
Nathan Arizona Sr: Oh, don't make me laugh. Without my say-so they wouldn't piss with their pants on fire.

Prison Counsellor: Why do you say you feel "trapped" in a man's body?
"Trapped" Convict: Well, sometimes I get them menstrual cramps real hard.

the last line of the film (as he is dreaming about tons of kids and grandkids all around)
H.I: [thinking] If not Arizona, then a land not too far away. Where all parents are strong and wise and capable. And all children are happy and beloved. I don't know. Maybe it was Utah.

...for an audience of Utans (this one raised in AZ)... brilliant.

the greatest thing to happen to me

i sometimes have a bit of a problem at work.
it is known as inevitable boredom/ lack of motivation.
i wont lie, having one month left at an already
uneventful get-by campus job is finally catching up to me.

between answering entertaining phone calls from
incompetent mothers of incompetent children generally
of the area of georgia with thick fast southern drawls
and strings of awkward endearments,
i sit and attempt to be productive at life.

things i should be doing:
-reading one of the books on my "currently reading list"
so i can actually move on to the 25ish on my "want-to-read-right-now-but-can't-yet-because-i-have-3-i-am-currently-reading" list...
-working on my 2 Independent Study classes so i can
be an official graduate instead of a fake one.

what am i doing?

hulu.com

watching all of the seasons of LOST that i have missed...
even though i know the show is a never-ending string of
loose ends and character development rather than a plot driven drama,


i can't help myself...
but i take breaks to watch all of Arrested Development (Season 3- cause I don't know it as well) and other awesome shows that i have missed because i have been a lame college student for the past few years...

...perfect anecdote to a work-induced boredom disease...

I want to be an adapter... -(Semi) Old School Movie Review #7

That is really what this one boils down to: I want to be the one that takes an existing piece of brilliant literature (The Kite Runner)and just smashes down until it is barely recognizable as the story once told.

Ok not. I loved the book, and I guess the film was just a bit rushed for me. Not awful. I would give it one more chance just to be sure, but it wasn't shattering or anything. And I will admit, I had hoped it would be. They missed out on the part of the book that is so meaningful and relatable I thought. Sure, the essence was there. The setting was well communicated and a few of the characters I actually liked. Most of them I didn't though.

The biggest downfall of any adaptation is what you will find here: editing. When adapting, you cannot-- I will repeat-- cannot cram the entire story in. Duh. That's a no-brainer. (I thought so too) but apparently the makers of this one thought it was still a good idea so they picked the kites themselves as the theme, crammed all the footage they could into 2 hours, and left out most of the harshly redeeming and sincere moments.

Possible ways the film could have been done (obviously without ruining it for you):

Maybe narrating it would have helped. So much of the book is told from one perspective and most of which comes straight out of his head. We only learn through about the other characters because of how we understand his heart. His guilt is what drives the piece. It is also what most can't handle as they read because it does tend to leave a very negative and depressing stroke on the reader.

Maybe pick only a few of the plot lines to tell. Truth be told, the movie was going to be great, but they couldn't really spend the time on the good parts, so it just... wasn't. Don't brush over the whole thing and give me a shallow film experience. Give me one to the point deep and moving one. Maybe then I would have sobbed at the end like I did reading the book. just an idea.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 2/5
(for forgetability, less-than-par casting, and poor editing)

(as a brief adendum... if you haven't read the book, the film perhaps could have been more like a 3/5. My criticism is more in the adaption than the film itself. Which I understand isn't the most fair.)

Scrictly a renter. But do, because it is entertaining.

The movie website
Go buy the book

i MARVEL... -New Movie Review #4

I have to say that I don't often get overly excited about the script of an action movie, and usually not of a superhero one either, but I guess there is always an exception to the rule.

Iron Man was a 2-hour ride. Who is to blame for this exhilaration? That would be the brilliant casting director. Robert Downy Jr. is so unassuming and down to earth on screen, and as the superhero that comes unexpected, he was just what we needed. Every line is a throw away line- so natural and sarcastic. I don't know wether to attribute this to the writing or to Downy himself, but the combination is uncanny. The way that he communicates with the other characters is just choice. Gwyneth was also a fun choice because she is so non-typical of the hot assistance/damsel-in-distress/falls in love with the shallow hunk. She has a certain depth that was fun to watch and certainly fun to watch her as such a selfless actor- letting Downy take lead.

FX- it wouldn't be an action movie without them and these ones were great. The brilliantly crafted CGI for the hilariously unreal technology was enjoyable and captivating. The intelligence robots were almost human with personality and served as sidekicks to Downy's little comedy ride.

Storywise/editing was on top because the pacing was so great- every scene was vital and it never dragged. I felt like an enpowered male at the end because I got that rush. Down to the last few minutes- that still frustrate me a bit- I was a giddy, wide-eyed mess.

Word of the wise- not a waste of cash. In fact- probably a much needed shelve necessesity.

Why TMA is a college of its own:

Here is something I love: mixing genres.

I love when we can play with the audiences' knowledge and they get to choose how they create meaning of it.

The BYU production of Berlin was fantastic. (Yes, if you look at that link- our own Nicole Riding Bell in in the photos because she originated the role of Stephanie) I know it will be edited to look awesome and will look great on screen in the end, but I don't know that it would ever be as moving as it was for me in person. It is kind of a surreal experience to watch the live action taking place on a film set in fluid motion as a stage play, but in the acting style and closeness of film.

There were screens set up so that we could watch what was happening inside the iron-set structure that faced itself inwardly. The sound was more powerful as well because the characters were mic-ed at film quality for the shooting, and the sound bellowed through the large speakers facing us as well as surrounding us. It was like watching an action film, and a musical on a stage at the same time which kept us as audience members very involved.

I also appreciated the attention spent on dialects because they were very tight and authentic and the costuming felt very authentic as well. I guess the simple notion that the show would be filmed adds a new dimension to how the actors treat the content of the show, but it also gives the designers more freedom to be more detailed and forces them to be more accurate.

I guess I thought of how I would love to do this someday at a high school just for fun. It might be fun to have the film students and the theatre students get together like this to be able to plan a project that could benefit both. I happen to have family that is involved in both sides of the spectrum so it would be fun. I also just think that any time we can get an audience into a space that breaks the convention of theatre it broadens the view of what can be done and incites more creative thinking about the themes of the show because it creates a sense of reality, whether we are pulled into it or not.

Found myself an Emerald...

Lets say I am quite the connoisseur of good films. I love them independent and I love them documentary, mostly I think I love them when they tell very real stories that are chillingly accurate to life or that I can relate to as if they were.

Little Manhattan.
If you haven't heard of it, watch the trailer. So cute.


What is so fun about this little story is first the fact that a married couple—Mark Levin (director) - former writer of "Wonder Years" and Jennifer Flackett (screenwriter) of "Wimbelton" and "Madeline"— just wrote it and directed it and produced it. They just wanted to tell an untold love story.
I was giddy for 90 minutes straight. It was real, and it was my childhood. And yours.

It got me thinking about documentaries as well. In docs, we tell the untold stories, giving a voice to the voiceless. I think that is why this film was so fun to watch for me. They wrote a voice over inner monologue-type narration for the young 10-year-old to let us peek into his ordinary day. A good film should do that I think: allow us to look at the world they have created and make me believe it and care about it.

It would be perfect to show in a Media Literacy class because it is so relatable in many ways, and, because it is independent and such a simple story, we could talk about creating our own movies. What stories do we want to tell? How would we show the story? In this film, the two co-writers as a spousal unit decided that New York would be perfect. This maybe because of their own childhoods, and also because of the mirror image of adult life and love that is usually portrayed in romantic comedies in NYC. It was a great way to say, "kids go through this too, and the first cut is the deepest."

The special features on the DVD walk you through some of the creation process that could also be fascinating to watch with young students about the planning process of filming. The crew, directors, designers...etc. all walked through central park just filming and planning and discussing what they wanted the various shots to look like. I think it could give the students a good sense of the small steps and the work involved to get their movies to look like they want them to and to communicate what they want them to.

Highly recommend this fine new find. Netflix may be your only way to it unless you know a guy though. Which I do.

Caution: Spoiler Warning... I will tell you what happens... (Semi) Old School Movie Review #4

(First complaint- do not put a picture on the cover that gives away the entire dramatic question of the film. We are all sitting here thinking "will they get back together? Then, she shows up in a blue dress, he says lets go-its going to rain, and boom- we know all because we entered the disk and saw it. Hmm. That was stupid. Keep an already non-suspenseful movie right out in the audience's lap. Real Cool.)

I recently watched "The Notebook" and I have a few things to say about it. First is that everyone kept saying how sad it was, "you better wash your make-up off cause you're going to cry!" Or "Oh, you have to be in a depressing mood to watch that- you will bawl your eyes out..." I don't know that I wholeheartedly agree with either of these warnings. I did shed a few, but perhaps not for the same reasons that you might think. I wasn't surprised at all which guy she was going to marry, I wasn't surprised at all about the old couple and how they would turn out. I thought the film did a few things very well that got me, probably more circumstantially than artisically—if that makes any sense at all. I explain:

The story reads like any other "chick flick" because it has the fall in love sequence, the someone-or-something-tore-us-apart-to-make-us-all-dramatic sequence, then the musical montage as they get back together, and then the happily ever after moment that girls will study over and over to compare their boring unromantic lives to. Sorry men.

I enjoyed the voiced over dialog (voice of the young heart throb as an old man) who explained the reality of the relationship. He explained how the two fought about everything. They argued and they teased each other incessantly. But the one thing they had in common was that they were crazy about each other. After her mom makes her family leave and she almost marries some other guy that would seem to be perfect for her—and who the parents love—she comes back home to find her first love with her dream house that he built from the bottom up. After a perfect few days, they have to decide what to do- he is a country boy and she a city girl. What he says to her is my favorite part of the movie because it is so honest of some relationships. He says to her, "This wont be perfect. It will be really really hard and we will have to work at it every day. I need someone to tell me when I am an arrogant son of a B——, and you need someone to tell you when you are a pain in the A—. Which, is about 99% of the time, but you have an incredible turn around time!"

I love the honesty in that statement. No- marriage isn't roses and dancing all of the time. The people we marry aren't going to be perfect or have all of the right things to say. But they should be between two people who know each other well enough to challenge them and keep them on their toes. I appreciated that they tried to create a sense of reality in that moment.

So when did I cry? I guess it was as I thought of those couples that have been separated and get to be together again. It made me think of the real love that they must share because of the struggle that it is everyday to make it work. It isn't the young love that makes me cry—it's the old love. Deep, I know.

Refreshing, witty, beautiful, real. - New Movie Review #2

Where has this screenwriter been all of my life? Diablo Cody, whose only credit is her blog-like book called "Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper," is nothing short of a brilliant writer. Every line in the movie seemed so effortlessly fun. After reading the first little bit of her book, I can see that the Juno that was in the movie was really a great depiction of perhaps how Diablo sees herself. Spunky, cute, fun, unknowingly hilarious and endearing.

The style of the film was not unlike Nepoleon Dynomite in the filming style, but the pace was given an adrenalin rush. Some of the real moments were so incredibly understated and real that they really catch you off-gaurd in the very intelligent & fast-paced humor of the rest of the film. I think the realness is what gives it the charm.

Some of the actual shots in the film are long and poignant. I am going to need to see it a few times just to catch the wonderful composition and cinematography, but some frames could almost be torn apart and analyzed for the thematic stories that they tell. What a piece of art to give to a starving audience that loves to think.

Yes, there are some irreverent things involved, but I loved them too. Why edit the reality of this young girl's life that is so compelling as it stands alone? I was glad to get a glimpse into it because it once again reaffirmed how grateful I am for the relationships in my life and how important my people are to me. Refreshing, witty, beautiful, real.

Fellowship of the Ring - (Semi) Old School Movie Review #2

I have always loved the LOTR movies but never have the time to watch them. I wish I had the time to sit and watch all of the extended versions in a row-- I think I would love that day. My sister was in town this last weekend and had to watch the first one for her English class. I noticed a few things that I didn't notice the last time I watched the film:



* The cinematography- every shot was a beautiful picture and very well composed. Also, most every shot in the movie is moving; the camera rarely stays still. We talked a little about that and why they might do that. Well, for one, they may have wanted to get all of the amazing locations that they found to use (most of them are huge!), or maybe it helped to move the story along. Frodo is on the constant move, so it makes sense that all of the shots move continuously. The colors are very obviously treated in post in some areas as well. In some of the scenes, Frodo's eyes seem so vibrantly blue and match his surroundings almost perfectly. I think the blue is to show his goodness and purity in a way and it is a very subtle but interesting way to show us how his character really is.

* The music- The other conversation that we had after watching the movie was about the music in the credits. My brother thought that the song didn't fit the movie at all because the movie was so action- packed and loud and intense, while the song ("May it Be") is lilty and slow and beautiful. I thought about the end of this movie. The story is not over here, and Frodo has yet to relieve himself of this burden that he alone can carry. It is also hopeful at the end because of his companionship of Samwise...etc. So the song does more than explain the ending mood because it also links this movie to its successor.

It is interesting to think of how the media can use these elements to help to support the message or story that they convey. All of the elements together make for more engaging media, but we may not see them until we break it down and notice them.

Tristan & Isolde - (Semi) Old School Movie Review #1

I had never seen this movie, though I have always wanted to. It looked like one of those movies that the preview alone would cause me to be ill, but that the movie would actually have enough substance for me to enjoy. I did. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a movie and not to get so cynical about how unbelievable it all was, but I did find it artistically fun to watch. This is the type of movie that I am not sure I would be able to use in a high school but the interesting part is that is is based on a story that many know. It is a medieval myth that has been turned into an opera and now a feature film. It would be interesting to compare the different stories and see how the story changes or what each of them communicated differently about the same story. I thought, for example, that this movie showed the relationship between the two as an almost instantly deep love. The story was more about the aftermath, and not as much about the relationship. The main themes in this version were the effects of the aristocratic order... and sex.

Then, to see how it compared to some other versions I did a bit of research and found this picture. (a painting of Tristan and Isolde from almost 100 years ago)What does this picture say about the relationship between the two lovers? Does it capture them in a romantic moment? Is this a different relationship than the most current version of the story told? What advantages does a film maker have over an artist to convey the same story? What advantages does the artist have?

I just thought the colors were interesting, the way Tristan is presented is far more feminine than he would be for today's audiences. The picture also gave more of a sense of something artistic that perhaps the two shared, but that she, as the woman, remained lower in station than he. Interesting.

"John Wayne is a tellibler name for a cowboy!"

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and we were discussing the movie "Hero." I first found it interesting that he loved this film so much because I have yet to find an Asian who doesn't. When I first watched it, it felt a little silly and I felt like the flying and language was out-of-control unreal to me. I had absolutely no context for understanding it and therefore, it wasn't as entertaining for me as maybe it was for my Asian friends who so admire it. Then we got to talking about other Asian movies and how I did enjoy "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon."

Why? Why do I not mind the artsy flying and intense story in the one movie and find the other very hokey?

My friend enlightened me: for the same reason that we might enjoy a John Wayne flick over Will Smith's "Wild Wild West." The art of using the flying in Chinese movies, he explained, is it's own genre in Chinese media and culture just as the western movies are in ours. It made me regret letting my brain heave this movie into my dumpster of non-entertaining films because I think that even that small tidbit of information would have given me a greater insight and helped me to understand the campy/hokey nature of this style of film.

Office Space - Old School Movie Review #1

This is a movie that I have seen before, but it had been a while. The friends that we watched it with had just watched it the night before, but it was the only movie that we could get 10 people to agree to watching and it was getting late!

This movie is so great to me because it is so subtle. The characters each have little quirks that make them memorable and the plot is so random. A guy hates his job and goes to a hypnotist. The hypnotist puts him in a trance and then has a heart attack before he can take him out of the trance. So, said guy goes home and sleeps and decides he is never going to go to work again. It is just so funny because again- we have all been there. Most people do not love their job...as the movie poster indicates. Most people are too afraid to do what they really want to because it might be against the social norm e.g. eat the first piece of cake instead of passing along, asking out your waitress...etc.