The Filles Take TIFF!: Friends With Kids

Photo: Lionsgate

Starring Jennifer Westfeldt, Kristen Wiig, Megan Fox, Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph and Adam Scott. Directed by Jennifer Westfeldt. 100 minutes. 14A

If you get one thing out of Friends With Kids, it’s that Bridesmaids was much more than just a great ensemble cast.

You see, Jennifer Westfeldt’s directing debut (you may know her as the star of Kissing Jessica Stein), features the majority of the main cast of that surprise hit of a rom-com (Kristen Wiig, Chris O’Dowd, Maya Rudolph and of course, Westfeldt’s long-time bf, Jon Hamm). And yet, it can’t even begin to live up to it in laughs and or sincerity.

Friends With Kids is like a toddler you’re forced to babysit for your pseudo-bud from work. It’s fine at first, pretty easy-going and even entertaining, but after about an hour, the little one starts to get grating and you start to get stupid bored. You really wish you things would start looking up for you and the kid—or rather, you and this well-meaning, yet meandering movie—but in truth, you just want get home and jump back in your non blankie-infested bed.

The concept of the film is slightly original, or at least a tad different for the current chick flick climate. Instead of focusing simply on a desperate single gal with a ticking clock, Friends With Kids follows two opposite sex BFFs (Westfeldt and Parks and Recreation’s always adorable Adam Scott) who decide to have a kid together because, well, they really want one (and all their friends have already done it—and totally changed). It all gets off on a perfectly platonic foot, with Mama and Papa still happily dating other peeps post-placenta. But things get tricky (or to continue with the metaphor, trippy?) when one of them develops more than faux-familial feelings for the other.

The story may ring true for many modern families, but as a movie, it comes across weirdly false and hopelessly predictable. It’s not Westfeldt or Scott’s fault (they have a sweet, sweet chemistry) but rather, the overly glossy cinematography and juvenile jokes. Okay, so maybe it is a bit of Westfeldt’s fault. (Sorry, Mrs. Draper!)

The problem with Friends With Kids is that it’s decidedly indecisive, forever unsure what side of rom-com it stands on. Sometimes this can work (see: Bridesmaids), but only if the flick maintains the back-and-forth and never officially commits to either side. The first twenty minutes of Friends may be really funny in a frank, adult way, but the second half is purely kids stuff: corny, skittish and poop joke-filled.  C

DVD: The Ward

Photo: rogersvideo.ca

Starring Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer and Danielle Panabaker. Directed by John Carpenter. 88 minutes. 14A

When John Carpenter attaches his name to a horror film, I want to see it. When John Carpenter directs his first horror film in 10 years, I want to see it even more.

It was such a struggle to see this film. It premiered at TIFF last year, but I missed it. Then it was rumoured to be released in theatres in Toronto a while back but kept getting postponed until it finally dropped off the map. Then after a long wait, it has finally been released on DVD. And it wasn't even worth the countdown.

The Ward follows the story of Kristen (Amber Heard), who finds herself in a psychiatric ward. She has no idea why and even more perplexing to her is the reason she set fire to an old farmhouse days earlier. While she continues to struggle with her memory, she begins to learn that there's someone else in the ward along with her and the other four young female patients. And as the others begin to die one by one, Kristen digs deeper into the mystery.

The biggest disappointment of this film is that a director who is known for being so innovative in horror could take on such a cliché, overdone project. This film is so predictable. You'll almost feel as if you saw this same film a few years ago but forgot about it over time. Actually, you did. It was played by a different cast, but you did see this story before. Many times. And then it long over-stayed its welcome. And then an iconic horror film director begged it to stay a little longer.

Despite a crappy story, the cast was interesting. In less than 10 years, Amber Heard's film career has rocketed. From small roles and indie films, she's soon to be in The Rum Diary alongside Johnny Depp, and takes a lead role in fall's new TV pilot The Playboy Club. Danielle Panabaker, playing ward resident Sarah, is also making herself out to be the horror it-girl, her resume already featuring remakes of iconic horrors like Friday the 13th and The Crazies (neither of which, IMO, actually sucked).

Understandably, its difficult for any director to match the success of the height of his career, let alone John Carpenter, whose Halloween and subsequent millions of sequels are permanently etched in the history of horror. But we have definitely come to expect more from him than a carbon copy of an idea that others have more than worn out. C

Paranormal Activity 2

Photo: allmoviephoto.com

(Frights off.)

Starring Sprague Grayden, Brian Boland, Molly Ephraim, William Juan Preito, Jackson Xenia Prieto and Katie Featherston. Directed by Tod Williams. 91 minutes. 14A

A year ago, a short, blonde scary movie lover lost a good chunk of her skin after attending a screening of the supernatural sensation, Paranormal Activity. Completely unprepared for its startlingly subtle scares and too-real special effects, she decided to go to a midnight showing, before heading home to a dark, empty house. Her eyes remained wide open for two dark, paranoid days. After seeing the sequel, however, she could barely keep her eyes open.

No, I wasn't squeezing my lids together out of inexplicable fear. I was actually falling into a deep, boredom-induced sleep. Because, despite all the hype - both personal and media-based - and frequent appearances of by a Ouiji board, Paranormal Activity 2 can't seem to resurrect the slow-burning-yet-skin-crawly horror of its predecessor.

Sure, Paranormal Activity 2 features some of the same cast (Micah and Katie are back in sorta-flashbacks) and scare tactics (the pulling out of bed moment is done again, on a much larger scale) as the original. But with the exception of the final twist (which is quite smart), it's missing everything that made the it so freakin' frightening.

While Paranormal Activity was equally slow-moving in its first half, when it finally got its creep on, it went all-out. In this new instalment, however, the freak outs are too few and far between.
There’s really nothing to scream about in this flick, which follows a family who gets terrorized by an evil spirit. The director clearly tried to take the first format to the next level, adding night-vision security cams to every corner of the house (the first had only one) and putting two horror no-nos (a baby and a dog) in danger, but the result is underwhelming, and sometimes even laughable. Like when their pool cleaner gets possessed and starts wandering out of the water. I guess demons love dingy midnight dips?

The only highlight of the otherwise lame supernatural tale is also its downfall. Unlike most horror flicks, Paranormal Activity 2 spends a significant amount of time developing its characters and trying to make us worry about them. The problem is, they’re too clueless – they don’t even think to check the tapes from their newly installed security system until it’s too late - to really care for.

The best of actor of the bunch is Sprague Grayden, who plays the movie’s matriarch, but she’s nothing to lose sleep about. It doesn’t help that she’s a semi-familiar face. At least to me. Part of the appeal of the first film was the fact that you didn’t know the actors. It made their story seem even more real and Blair Witch-y. But since Grayden has made serious guest spots on two of my all-time favourite shows, Six Feet Under and Joan of Arcadia, I knew the ghost story was wholly faux from the get-go.

Maybe it was my way-high expectations. Or perhaps it had to do with the fact that I saw it at 11:30 in the morning. But Paranormal Activity 2 was a little too normal for me. C

Flipped

Photo: Allmoviephoto.com

(Juli and Bryce, sitting by a tree...)

Starring Madeline Carroll, Callan McAuliffe, Anthony Edwards, John Mahoney and Aidan Quinn. Directed by Rob Reiner. PG

Unless you were a bookworm tween in 2001 (or a creepy teen-lit section lurker), chances are you've never heard of Wendelin Van Draanen's '50s-set, young adult romance, Flipped. But not to worry, you can catch up on all the pre-teen holding-hand action with the dreamy, overproduced big screen version! Or you know, not.

The film version of Flipped plays out like a bobby-socked Breaking Dawn (the last Twilight book to you cool people), annoyingly alternating between two perspectives of a passionless romance. Luckily, in this case, the main characters are somewhat interesting (sorry, post-vamp baby Bella and Jacob). Unfortunately, you can't really say the same for their dialogue.

While there are a handful of cute conversations between tweenage lovebirds, Bryce and Juli, who are the centre of the simple schoolyard romance, most of their story goes on in their heads. As a result, large chunks of the film consist of the young actors staring at each other awkwardly while one of their voices explains their actions. It's like they're doing a cold reading of the book over stock footage.

We end up analyzing every moment of their curious courtship in intense detail. It all seems real - we've all made too much of a look, or a misread word - but real isn't a synonym for interesting. It's like when your friend gives you a minute-by-minute play-by-play of her last date. You're listening, trying to get into the mild excitement, but when it comes down to it, you're only half there.

That is not to say the actors playing Bryce and Juli are emotionless or unengaging. In fact, they're the best part of this lukewarm family drama. Newcomers Callan McAuliffe and Madeline Carroll have great chemistry, especially when they're bickering, making you believe that they may grow to like each other and become junior high school sweethearts after all.

The adults are not so memorable. Anthony Edwards is way overdone as the Bryce's dad, turning what could have been a seriously sad character into a Lifetime caricature. I guess Goose really is dead. Aidan Quinn is slightly better as Juli's artsy pop, but not by much. John Mahoney is the best of the big names, although his character (Bryce's wise grandpa) is nothing more than a YA Yoda.

The main problem with Flipped is it is a Rob Reiner film. We automatically expect a lot out of Reiner, who perfected the coming-of-age saga (Stand By Me) and gender-defying romantic comedy (The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally...). What we get is more in line with his more recent, lifeless fare (saggy sap-fest, The Bucket List, mediocre dramedies like Rumour Has It... and Alex & Emma).

Flipped works purely on a nostalgic level. At least for a select few. '50s fetishists will die for the hazy, vintage photo, Virgin Suicides cinematography, Dirty Dancing-esque soundtrack and perfectly proper pencil and poodle skirts. And from what I hear, fans of the book will, well, flip for the depiction of their precious little love story. But if you don't fit into either of those categories, you're pretty much, uh, well let's just say it also starts with f and ends with ed. C

DVD: Clash of the Titans (2010)

Photo: amazon.ca

Starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Louis Leterrier. 106 minutes. PG

Judging from the trailer, Clash of the Titans seemed like epic-done-right: the confidence of 300, a thoughtful story like The Lord of the Rings and villains that were actually scary (glow-in-the-dark Liam Neeson excluded). I saw something else though,when I saw the film in theatres. Watching it again, I realized, 3D does make a difference, and in this case, for the worse.

Clash of the Titans is a remake of the 1981 film of the same name, an adaptation of the Greek myth of Perseus (Sam Worthington). Mortals have given up on the gods and therefore, Zeus (Neeson) has given up on mortals, allowing his brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) to go ahead with destroying their city of Argos, with help from some CGI-fied monsters. Perseus, a demi-god and son of Zeus, declines life as a deity and enlists to help the king in defeating Hades and saving kraken-bait princess, Andromeda.

The movie seemed to whoosh by in theatres, which isn't necessarily a good thing. It ran then it was gone and life indifferently trudged on. Watching it on non-3D DVD later, I realized how unnecessarily distracting 3D can be. I guess that's what happens when at last minute, filmmakers decide to cash in on the craze and self-destroy their own film.

Sadly though, 2D Clash of the Titans still isn't much to marvel at. The story is very basic: destroy all evil to save humanity. You can probably break most epics down to the same premise but it's just boring to meet the hero, find out the task and believe that he will succeed against all. That's why 300 was so awesome for defying this.

Acting was also very formulaic and over-the-top. Of course this is one of the few genres where over-the-top-ness can work to fuel triumph but in this case, it just felt trite. We expected this kind of acting. We expected dirtied, straight faces delivering clichés in their testosteroned righteousness.

Also thanks to some of the preceding epic film brilliance, we expected gruesomely horrifying monsters. At least in this area, the film didn't disappoint (but didn't wow either). Yes, the harpies are scarier than The Wicked Witch of the West's flying monkeys and the kraken is more frightening, well, than the Pirates of the Caribbean kraken, but Orcs and Uruk-hai remain untouchable.

I cannot recommend Clash of the Titans for any logical reason other than to put your faves that much more on a pedestal. It is mediocre at both best and worst. If you're still dying to see it though, the good news is, you can't watch it in 3D. C

EXTRAS: Behind-the-scenes, interviews, deleted scenes and an alternate ending.

DVD: When You're Strange

Photo: amazon.ca

(The Doors a.k.a. just Jim)

Narrated by Johnny Depp. Directed by Tom DiCillo. 90 minutes. 14A

When You’re Strange is a better song than this documentary. The song is soulful yet airy. Riffs are catchy, lyrics are interesting. It’s the kind of song you could set on repeat for a while. This documentary, on the other hand, is too linear and predictable: instant fame, too cool for school, then drugs.

When You’re Strange sums up The Doors from genesis to crash. Actually, it’s mostly about Jim Morrison. It’s as if there is no band, there is just Jim. He is The Doors and some fans would probably argue so, just as this documentary does. The Doors’ story is framed by scenes from a film that Morrisson made and stars in, but set up by DiCillo to imply that Morrison faked his own death, as DiCillo dubs news of Morrison's death over the scene where the car radio plays. Y’know, like Elvis and Tupac.

As a Doors fan, you might get distracted by the music in this film, but as a neutral observer, it should be about how the doc carries the songs and the band's story. Unfortunately in this case, it's not very well. The story is not very compelling. That's not to say The Doors, or Jim, didn't lead interesting lives or careers, it's just a story we've seen on film too many times before. It's up to the doc creators to come up with a new way of telling that story, bringing new elements to it, maybe finding details we wouldn't expect. Instead, DiCillo keeps it cliche, making it a doc for Doors lovers, not music lovers.

The film also embeds a weird narrative with Morrisson, set in the desert, filling up at a gas station, covering up a dying animal and playing with random children. It seems staged because it is. The footage cheese-ifies the doc, detracting from its integrity. But again, maybe a gem for the die-hard fans.

As a whole, nothing is very memorable. You might stumble across this doc on TV again one day and not remember you'd seen it before. But if you aren't a Doors fan, you'll probably just flip the channel. C

Letters to Juliet

Photo: allmoviephotos.com

(Sophie's reads the letter that propels her into la la land.)

Starring Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Egan, Vanessa Redgrave and Gael Garcia Bernal. Directed by Gary Winick. 95 Minutes. PG.

If Letters to Juliet were a colour is would be pink. The pale, yet warm girly pink that lines little girls' bedrooms and makes you think of strawberry ice cream, lip gloss and carnations. Letters to Juliet is what you might get if you took the five-year-old dressed as a fairy prancing around her living room, instantly aged her 15 years and told her to write a movie.

Letters to Juliet begins as the romantic comedy that isn't yet aware that it's a romantic comedy. Sophie Hall (Amanda Seyfried) is a fact-checker with The New Yorker who dreams of being a writer. She's engaged to a soon-to-be restaurateur (Gael Garcia Bernal) and we're supposed to believe that they're in love, although he neglects her. When the two go on a trip to Verona, Italy for their "pre-honeymoon," the distance between them swells even more. Aside from the fact that he's too busy doing prep for his restaurant, he doesn't even let her finish her sentences.

One day, while Sophie is spending the afternoon on her own while her fiancé is busy with food-tasting, she comes across Juliet's wall. It's supposedly the wall near Juliet Capulet's home where women write teary love-sore letters and pin them to the wall for Juliet to read and reply. At the end of a day, a woman collects them all in a basket. Sophie sees this and follows the woman through town to find that this woman, along with a few others, reply to letters. They ask Sophie to join them and, with nothing else to do on her pre-honeymoon, she does. While collecting letters, she finds one hidden behind a brick from 50 years past. It's about a woman (Vanessa Redgrave) who's running away from her true love and Sophie undertakes it as her duty to reply. The next day, the woman returns to Verona and Sophie joins her on a mad chase throughout the region to find the long-lost Romeo.

The biggest problem with the film is that in order to believe that a relationship is falling apart, namely the relationship between Sophie and her fiancé, we need to first believe that a relationship was there, and the film doesn't convince us of this. It's hard to imagine that the two were even ever remotely attracted to each other. He ignores her and doesn't care about her life and it's impossible to believe that he ever did. When an English guy (Christopher Egan) who instantly dislikes her comes into the picture, the outcome seems all too predictable.

What's also cliché is the soundtrack, far too Disney. You're almost waiting for her to spin through a pink, sparkly haze and come out a princess. It's hard to recognize Taylor Swift's "Love Story" when it plays because it's just such an obvious song choice that you'd think it would never be chosen.

It's difficult to say how well roles were played because with such a corny script, it's impossible to avoid corny acting. Nothing seems genuine when, after 50 years apart, true love reunites the couple and they're both so unattached to their lives that they completely throw themselves at each other and ignore anything else that ever was.

But what was most ridiculous about the film was Sophie being a fact-checker. At least it only lasts for about five minutes. Unfortunately, the entire film lasts for 95. C

Sex and the City 2

Photo: Allmoviephoto.com

(Sex on the Arabian beach.)

Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis. Directed by Michael Patrick King. 146 minutes. 18A

Once upon a puddle-soaked tutu, Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha were the perfectly-coiffed gal pals I turned to when I needed a glam fest/inneudo-laden pick-me-up. That spark(le) faded slightly after the first movie and its saggy sap-fest of a mid-section, but regained some shine thanks to the designer-meets-diner finale. When I left the theatre this time around however, I couldn't help but wonder... if our our once-glittery relationship had finally fizzled out.

Sex and the City 2 is miles away from the show I loved, literally and figuratively. It's been two years since the last cinematic update and with the exception of Samantha (even in menopause, the girl's a sex machine), the gals seem to have gotten, dare I say it, crotchety (pun not intended). Carrie, for example, gets her lacy panties in a bunch when Big suggests they snuggle up and watch an old black and white movie together on their brand-new flat screen. Boo hoo.

In addition to flaking on the personality department, there's not much (New York) city to go with this Sex. Within minutes of hearing Alicia Keys sing the praises of the "concrete jungle where dreams are made of" over the opening credits, we're whisked away to Conneticut for Standford and Anthony's wedding. There, we're treated to a gay stereotype sample platter (I mean that in the best way) featuring all-male choral groups, swans and Liza Minelli (actually). Despite the country locale, these scenes are very reminiscent of the show, with plenty of glamour, giggles and guest appearances to shake your empty cosmo glass at. Things get messy again, however, after we take an all-expenses paid flight to - Abu Dhabi.

That's right. In order to regain some of their signature sass - and help Samantha get in with a PR contact - the girls pack up their bedazzled turbans (not joking) and strappy scandals and jet off to the United Arab Emirates. The first bit of the trip is overpriced, oversexed and overtly alliterative fun (Butlers! Burkas! Beautiful soccer players!). There's even a side story involving Aiden (John Corbett), a.k.a the Carrie boyfriend that got away. Unfortunately, it's not all puns and former flames.

High on vacay confidence, the fab four decided they needed to add self-righteousness to their ensembles. These girls don't know their Sheiks from their sheiks, but for some reason, they think they're qualified to analyze Middle Eastern culture. In one scene, Carrie practically cries at the sight of woman eating a french fry under her face-covering veil. This overdramatic lunch chatter soon turns into a mission to show Abu Dhabi that everyone should have the right to bare arms (and legs and boobs).

At their hotel's karaoke night, the fab four make a direct jab at the oppressed ladies, performing the girl-power anthem, "I Am Woman." Later, Samantha turns a hookah pipe into a makeshift dick, sucking it off in front of several disgusted locals. She also waves her condoms at the townspeople and get arrested for, what else, PDA.

The storyline is meant to give the cocktail-toting masses something to think about, but it just feels completely out of character, not to mention, rather racist and ill-informed. They try to make up for the awkwardly self-righteous detour in the final act, revealing that underneath their body-hiding burkas, the local ladies are just like us - designer scarves and all! It's as cringe-worthy and inaccurate as it sounds.

At one point, Carrie asks Big if she's become a "nagging bitch." I don't know if I'd go that far, but by forcing a half-baked women's rights agenda down our throats, Carrie and co. have transformed themselves into million-dollar mirages of their formerly fierce selves. If director/writer Michael Patrick King keeps this act up (you know he'll try for one more sequel), I may have to start fashioning my break-up Post-It. C

DVD: Valentine's Day

Photo: Allmoviephoto.com

(It's a love story, baby just say, meh.)

Starring Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Patrick Dempsey and a whole lot of other sorta big names. Directed by Garry Marshall. 124 minutes. PG

Maybe I'm just a jaded horror girl, but when I think of holiday-themed movies that don't involve Christmas, I think of unnecessary butchering (Halloween, April Fool's Day, My Bloody Valentine). Although it's technically a rom-com, I guess you could say Valentine's Day follows that bloody formula. But instead of killing off over-sexed teens for no apparent reason, it unknowingly beats the once-charming romantic ensemble comedy formula to a pretty pulp.

Like Love, Actually or He's Just Not That Into You on a blatant Hallmark high, Valentine's Day features several interweaving love stories that are either blossoming or unraveling on love day in Los Angeles. There's the sweet old lovers (Hector Elizondo and Shirley MacLaine), the teenage love birds (Emma Roberts and Carter Jenkins and the two Taylors - Swift and Lautner), the 20-somethings (Anne Hathaway and Topher Grace, Jessica Alba and Ashton Kutcher) and even the gay couple (I won't even dare let you know who they are. I don't want to ruin the movie's sole surprise). Although all the relationships are technically different, they all end up communicating the same, overdone message: whether we're young or old, gay or straight - we all need (or is it want?) love. Especially on the most sickeningly heart-filled day of the year.

This movie is essentially the cinematic equivalent of those hard, message-laden heart candies - nice to look, but destined to give you one hell of a post-sugar rush stomach ache. All the side stories are sweet enough (some are even aww-shucks worthy), but they barely get a chance to develop into something significant because the cast is too caught up with making nice with their equally famous friends to provide proper characterizations. I love me some Taylor Swift songs, but the country pop gal just came off as a overzealous starstruck fangirl interacting with the likes of Jennifer Garner and Twilight hunk Taylor Lautner (no wonder they sorta dated). She should stick to song writing. Her theme song ("Today is a Fairytale") is one of the only highlights of this only-sorta charming slice of fake cheese.

Ironically, the best part of this star-studded love fest is the non-famous actors and their storylines. Like Edison (Bryce Robinson), a young boy who is in love with his teacher. Just thinking about the little guy scrambling for money to send his beloved instructor a dozen roses during recess is enough to make you want to believe in the rest of the lovey dovey stories.

Valentine's Day is the most polarizing fake holiday to begin with, so putting it in movie form is sort of a recipe for mixed reactions. You would think rom-com expert Garry Marshall would find a way to appeal to more than just the hopeless romantic masses with some Pretty Woman-style humour. Unfortunately, he takes a more cutesy route, alienating those who care more about the com than the rom. In the words of an old pleather-boot wearing friend, big mistake. HUGE. C

EXTRAS: Sex and the City 2 sneak peek trailer, deleted scenes

The Back-up Plan

Courtesy: AllMoviePhoto.com

(D'awwww)

Starring Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin and Michaela Watkins. Directed by Alan Poul. 99 Minutes. PG-13

Once upon a time there were two beautiful people who met, fell in love, broke up, then got back together and got married. That's what we expect from stereotypical romantic comedies and that, plus artificial insemination, is what we get with The Back-Up Plan.

The film begins with Zoe's (Jennifer Lopez) inner monologue about how she's tired of waiting for "Mr. Right" to start a family and is ready to have a baby on her own, all the while she's tilted back and propped open for artificial insemination. Waddling out of the clinic, she steps into the pounding rain, hails a cab and jumps in. Then Stan (Alex O'Loughlin) hops in too. And then they fall in love, thus making this scene their oh-so-cute first memory together, minus the cute.

Then come the two essential components to this film: Stan is Mr. Right and Zoe is pregnant with an unknown red-haired, freckled man's children. Yes, children; she's having twins, of course. As if asking your new boyfriend to father one of your unborn children weren’t enough to scare him far, far away.

Throughout the film, Lopez does what's expected of her, which is the reason many of us watch her rom-coms. She plays the ordinary woman who falls in love, making her life extraordinary and complicated but ultimately, a dazzling fairy tale. She’s kind-hearted, innocent and determined. All the while, it's all too obvious that this is "Jennifer Lopez acting" not an ambitious, working woman named Zoe.

O'Loughlin also fits his criteria: a full set of glistening, white teeth, smooth one-liners and almost as buff as Fabio. He's just "the guy.” It could have been Matthew McConaughey, it could have been Ralph Fiennes; the film just needed someone to wear the shoes of “the guy.” Ok, it should have never been Ralph Fiennes.

However, what can take a film like this, beyond another frolic in the park, is on-screen chemistry, which in the case of this film was not believable. But then again, nothing about this film was really believable. Not the fact that Stan made cheese for a living, that Zoe owned a pet store or that her nana was actually her nana.

The best (and most convincing) aspect of the film was Anthony Anderson’s handful of scenes with Stan at the park, cracking jokes at the woes of parenthood. Casting him as Stan’s best friend, rather than a random playground dad, would have definitely given the film a boost.

Acting, chemistry and plot aside, The Back-Up Plan works as expected. It’s a mindless escape. It serves the purpose that 1960s television did. It's unrealistic, improbable and highly predictable, but for an hour and forty-five minutes, you become absorbed by the clichés and tag along for the lovey-dovey ride. C

DVD: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Courtesy: AllMoviePhoto.com

(Step into the not-so-spectacular Imaginarium)

Starring Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Verne Troyer and Andrew Garfield. Directed by Terry Gilliam. 123 Minutes. PG-13

Alice’s Wonderland, Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and Dr. Parnassus’ Imaginarium. One of these worlds just doesn’t belong. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is so strongly founded on creating a spectacular, imaginary universe, that when it fails to enchant and intrigue, the rest of the film tumbles too.

Set in modern day London, the film follows Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and his travelling theatre troupe. As part of a deal with the devil Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), they buggy around the city, inviting onlookers to step into The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. The trouble is, audience members only consist of a drunk or two, on a good night. That is, until the troupe happens upon Tony (Heath Ledger). Just as the situation becomes dire, Tony has a few ideas of his own in hopes of turning the show around.

Dark and colourful is the best way to sum this film up, both in visuals and theme. In the blue and gloomy night, the theatre unfolds, beaming warm, bright lights with floral and ancient accents decorating the stage. The cast prances around in ruffles, masks, wigs and glitter.

While the “real-world” set may be stunning, it’s the imaginary universe that fails to invite. Various wide-shots into the dream-like world present it as something to explore, but when characters enter, it becomes a mural in the background: flat and fake. Sure, it’s supposed to be a window into the imagination but the purpose of the Imaginarium is to make imagination tangible.

But what is believable is Tony and his incarnations. Originally cast as the sole Tony, Ledger introduces us to a charismatic, secretive character whose true self only unfolds at the end. When Ledger died partway through filming, his role was completed by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, who each played one of Tony’s incarnations. What could have spoiled the point of the film (it didn't, the Imaginarium did), turned out to mesh seamlessly with Ledger’s role.

Perhaps the most painful part of the film is seeing Ledger deliver another captivating performance, with what should have been the launching point for an even more brilliant career ahead. Bringing quirk and charm to his role, Ledger was one of the few highlights of the film.

However, Ledger alone was unable to pull the weight of a thin storyline. Attempting to illustrate the heavy weight of chance decisions through a bet with the devil, the story drives down a very linear road and ultimately lacks depth.

With such a distractingly weak universe and barren storyline, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus doesn’t swoop us into a magical realm like it should. C