|
|
|
Written by Knight Ridder
|
|
Wednesday, 19 April 2006 |
|
|
|
|
American Dreamz
Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore
PG-13 / Brief strong language and som sexual references / 1 hr. 40 mins.
Reading your bad reviews can be disheartening. Reading your good ones can be deadly.
Case in point — Paul Weitz. He and his brother do “American Pie.” For all its raunch, a lot of reviewers pick up on the movie’s heart. Then he does “About a Boy.” His notices are ecstatic. Either brother Chris was the funny one, or Paul needs to stop reading rottentomatoes.com.
And that led to “In Good Company,” and now “American Dreamz,” stumbling, self-serious “comedies” that have an unwelcome weightiness and no comic snap at all.
“Dreamz” is an ambitious satire of America today, a biting riff on Bush, Iraq, “American Idol” and a nation amusing itself to death. It has a game cast— Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Willem Dafoe, Marcia Gay Harden and Hugh Grant. And the jokes should work, stinging shots at a president who doesn’t read newspapers and who needs earpieces to be told what to say, blindly ambitious would-be pop idols, sneeringly cynical TV producers and dim-witted terrorists helpless against the onslaught of American pop culture.
If only Weitz hadn’t directed it.
Comedy is loud, in your face. Comedy is brash. Comedy is wacky. Satiric comedy, if “Dr. Strangelove” taught us anything, is even more so.
But Weitz just blows it. He gives us a quiet, brooding TV “next pop star” host (Grant), the aforementioned clueless Texan in the White House (Quaid, not bad) and a ruthlessly “white trash” would-be diva (Moore), and lets them all down with a movie that never works up any speed or outrage.
But “American Dreamz” isn’t mean enough or funny enough. But Weitz either lost himself in his anger, or never got mad enough to be funny. This is an “out there” farce that isn’t out there at all. | |
Somebody Still Likes BUSH...
Written by somedaysunny on 2006-04-26 15:28:28
I saw this movie opening weekend; it was hilarious! The theatre was packed and everyone was roaring with laughter the whole time. This movie does pick fun at the American culture, so learn to take a joke, and you'll enjoy it. |
Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
