Review: Seeking A Friend for the End of the World

Second chances are a given in this modern age. If you don't like who you are, change. Looking at Charlie Sheen, that number of chances could easily be closer to thirty. The basis of some of the most popular series on television are all about second chances (Breaking Bad and Mad Men). It is never too late to start over. Well, in Dodge's case, not really. In less than three weeks the world will end when an asteroid collides with the Earth. Second chances are now our only chances.

Life has not treated Dodge (Steve Carell) terribly well: his wife couldn't run out on him fast enough when Asteroid Mathilda set sights on Earth, his father left him as a child, and now there is no time to reconcile what he has with what he wanted. Penny (Keira Knightley) has had a similar experience. Her family views her as a "flake" and she has wasted most of her days with boyfriends on a lower spectrum. By sheer luck, she has the letter Dodge has been waiting for his entire life.

With the aid of several passers-by, friends, family, and a cute dog, Dodge and Penny hope to reunite with their loved ones.

Steve Carell has stated in interviews that his recent selection of parts will be defined by how well they reflect the human condition. Nothing is ever completely funny, nor completely melancholy, and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a representation of that.

The marketing of the film would have one believe that it is a comedic vehicle for Carell and nothing more. What unfurls is a tale not of how people meet their end, rather, how they should have lived their whole lives.

Carell and Knightley have such great chemistry that one almost forgets that the world is going to end. Even when sharing a few bowls of pasta and a vintage record they are a genuine pleasure to watch. Conversely, it is that much sadder to see them together knowing the time they have is so short. It is a bittersweet moment, but a thoroughly enjoyable one.

Critics have taken Seeking to task for losing focus on actually destroying the world, but that gaze seems short-sighted. Life is less about how it ends than what occurs before opening your eyes for the first time and closing them for the last. Director Lorene Scafaria avoided the pitfall of losing the narrative to appease Armageddon-junkies. In doing so, she may have made of the finer films about the end of the world.

To the last person left, please turn out the lights.

***/****

The Best of the Decade

Over the last ten years, the cinema has given us a great deal to be thankful for: a rebirth of the Batman franchise, a series of examinations of what it means to live in this particular decade, and a mass of character studies whether they be animated or popcorn thrillers. As much as I have enjoyed the offerings, a list must be culled together for the end of the year. Except this year is different, this year ten films must be selected from hundreds. Below are some of the best of the aughts. Enjoy! 10) There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson's magnum opus, a scathing look at extremism in America and the evils of greed and profiteering from religion. It also features the best performance of the decade with Daniel Day-Lewis as oil-man Daniel Plainview. 9) Up A beautiful tale that entrances all ages, Up managed to captivate children and tell a tale that adults cherish as well. 8) The Dark Knight Maybe just a comic book film, but it is the best comic book film

Paprika vs. Inception

Months before Inception hit the theaters forums were alive with rumors that Christopher Nolan either accidentally or intentionally stole some details from another film, the Japanese anime Paprika. The biggest point of comparison for some bloggers and forum runners was the fact that both of the films featured a device that allowed a person, or people, to travel into another’s dreams and delve into their subconscious. Minor points of comparison include scenes in Paprika where the character Paprika breaks through a mirrored wall by holding her hand to it, as well as a scene where a police detective falls his way down a hallway. Claims have been made that Inception abounds with imagery similar to or exactly like the anime movie, but with the recent release of the film on DVD and Blu-Ray, and with Paprika available for several years now, an examination of the two plots can be made more fully. Let us begin with the primary claim— Inception stole the idea of a dream

Armond White or: How I Learned to Stop Caring and Ignore the Troll

Whether it is his glowing review of Norbit , his thrashing of Toy Story 3 , or just his general pompousness, you are aware of Armond White. His dismissal of Toy Story 3 came at a convenient time when the film was sitting pretty with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. "But Toy Story 3 is so besotted with brand names and product-placement that it stops being about the innocent pleasures of imagination—the usefulness of toys—and strictly celebrates consumerism." A claim that could have been taken at face value had he not followed it with this sentiment " Transformers 2 already explored the same plot to greater thrill and opulence." I am sure if one were inclined to interview Michael Bay at his most enlightened he would have never crafted an answer that insightful regarding hidden parables in his Transformers vehicle. White was at his most incensed when forced to sit down and type out his thoughts regarding Precious , but praised Norbit for its reflection o

Never Mind Pop Film

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