New Year's Eve

Pause and Reflect

Director: Garry Marshall

Writers: Katherine Fugate
Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Seth Meyers, Sarah Paulson, Til Schweiger, Katherine Heigl, Jon Bon Jovi, Sofia Vergara, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele, Sarah Jesica Parker, Abigail Breslin, Josh Duhamel, Hilary Swank, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Hector Elizondo

SYNOPSIS: The stories of the lives of several couples, singles, parents and children intersect throughout the course of New Year's Eve.

REVIEW: Garry Marshall, the director of such romantic comedies as Overboard, Runaway Bride, and Valentine's Day, returns to the screen for another holiday titled and themed movie. Marshall re-teams with his Valentine's Day writer Katherine Fugate and a cavalcade of stars for a film revolving around only a few of the millions stories and people as one of the most festive and renewing holidays counts down.

As the hours leading up to midnight an the dropping of the New York City New Year's Ball loom, New Year's Eve focuses on several stories of the lives of people dealing with the holiday and each other. Tame and timid Ahern Records employee Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer, Stardust) realizes that she needs to make a change and employs bike messenger Paul (Zac Efron, 17 Again) to help her cross off item from her long-standing New Year's resolutions list in exchange for four tickets to a hot masquerade ball hosted by her record company. Stan Harris (Robert De Niro, Little Fockers) lies in a hospital bed hours from the end of his life, desperate to see the ball drop just one last time. Nurse Aimee (Halle Berry, Monster's Ball) plans to stay with him until her shift ends just before midnight. Pregnant Tess Byrne (Jessica Biel, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry) and her husband Griffin (Seth Meyers, I Don't Know How She Does It) may be delivering in the hours following the ringing in of the new year. But labor pains are coupled with competition when they find out from rival couple Grace (Sarah Paulson, The Spirit) and James Schwab (Til Schweiger, Inglourious Basterds) that the first baby born in the new year at the hospital receives $25,000. Catering chef Laura (Katherine Heigl, Killers) and her sous chef Ava (Sofia Vergara, Modern Family) hosts the biggest party of their company's career, even though the main performer at the engagement is Laura's ex-fiancee rock star Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi, Pay It Forward). Holiday humbug Randy (Ashton Kutcher, Killers) finds himself stuck in his apartment elevator with holiday hopeful new 5B tenant Elise (Lea Michele, Glee). Radio City Rockette costume designer Kim (Sarah Jessica Parker, I Don't Know How She Does It) plans to stay at home with her fifteen year old daughter Hailey (Abigail Breslin, Zombieland) to watch the ball drop, but Hailey dreams of meeting up with a cute boy in Times Square for a kiss at midnight against her mother's wishes. Sam (Josh Duhamel) wishes his friends well as they complete their wedding vows then finds himself at the mercy of the kindness of strangers in order to get back to the Manhattan for a party toast and a possible midnight rendezvous with a woman he met last New Year's Eve. And finally, Claire Morgan (Hilary Swank, Boys Don't Cry), the vice president of the Times Square Alliance, feels the pressures of keeping the ball drop on schedule when the raising of the multi-light sphere runs into an electrical problem.

New Year's Eve packs a lot of tales into one film. Just outlining the bare bones of the stories involved takes groundwork. And in each slice of life, there is reflection and remembrance, humor and sadness. And once in a while, a couple of individuals in the sea of millions cross paths. Sometimes they are like ships passing in the night. Other times it seems cosmic forces attract people together or repel them apart. As the seconds tick by and the hum of anticipation for the clock striking twelve mounts, anything is possible.

Garry Marshall knows what he is doing. He is a romantic comedy maestro who has delighted audiences for decades. And his directing clout draws out so many stars, they are too numerous to mention. Even in small roles, each actor or actress can bring a smile to your face when they come into view. Fugate's story lifts up the spirit, even in moments where there is no hope. The new year brings the promise of new beginnings, new life, and resolutions for changes in our lives.

The pace of the film builds slowly, each story's foundation deliberately placed. As the countdown ends and the Times Square New Year's Eve ball drops to usher in a new year, the serendipity of the separated stories combines to fill in a nicely interwoven tapestry of the fabric of life.

WORTH: Matinee or Rental

No Strings Attached

Friends Needing More Benefits

[Ashton Kutcher, Natalie Portman, Kevin Kline, Cary Elwes, Lake Bell, Ludacris, Jake Johnson]

image from daemonsmovies.com

RANT: Another near miss as I barely got to the theater in time. In order to keep the popcorn-eating belly at bay, I need to get to the gym as often as possible. Unfortunately, the gym and the show times are in constant opposition. Maybe I need to get out to the fitness center earlier in the morning so I get to the Regal theater on time.

SYNOPSIS: After meeting each other several times over the years, Emma and Adam decide become friends with benefits - with no strings attached. Unfortunately, real feelings can't be kept at bay forever.

Ivan Reitman, director of the Ghostbusters movies and, most recently, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, comes back in the new year with his latest effort starring Ashton Kutcher and the recently hardworking and busy Natalie Portman. They star as Adam and Emma, two people who has meet and reconnected over the years - starting with summer camp and ending up in Los Angeles where Emma is a doctor and Adam is an assistant on a High School Musical-esque show. Rebounding from finding out that ex-girlfriend is now dating his famous actor father, Adam drunk dials Emma and ends up having sex with her. Realizing that a relationship without emotional commitment is perfect for her hectic work schedule, Emma proposes that they become friends with benefits.

Of course, the situation is perfect for Adam, as his friends Wallace (Ludacris) and Eli (Jake Johnson) are quick to point out to him. Eli and Wallace, although at odds with their advice to Adam, are comedic with their support. On Emma's side, her doctor roommates - including Shira (Mindy Kaling from The Office) - also wish they had Emma's relationship. They even manage to get their menstrual cycles in synch, although one of them is a guy!

Ashton retains his typical rogue charm and sideways smiles. Natalie proves that she is excellent in anything she does - romantic comedies or bird-related ballets. But even with all the key elements in place, funny and tender moments, and a weepy resolution, there was something missing for me. Don't get me wrong, No Strings Attached has fine moments. Plenty of others in the audience were laughing and crying at all the right moments, but I just didn't laugh and cry as often.

Even though this seems to be a six-cylinder romantic comedy, it might need a little bit of a tune-up.

Worth: Netflix

Butter Popcorn Meter

Killers

Spies and Spouses
[Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara]

Sorry so late with this week's entry. There was a christening and a birthday, for the same little girl! There was a BBQ with a chance of showers and tornadoes. But while the hot winds were blowing and a few drops came down, it eventually turned out pretty nice.

SYNOPSIS: Spencer, a CIA assassin starts questioning the value of his targets and yearns for a quieter suburban life. Meeting a fetching Jen in Nice, Italy, he finishes his final job and starts a relationship with Jen, eventually marrying. Soon their suburban life is upset when Spencer is approached by his old handler for a new job, as well as finding out their neighbors and co-workers may be assassins contracted to kill him.

Part romantic comedy, part actioner, "Killers" is cut from the same cloth as "True Lies". But where we see Arnold and Jamie Lee in the depths of their marriage with Arnold still active in the trade, "Killers" starts with Ashton with a hesitant last mission after meeting and falling for the safe Katherine, then a flash forward to their simple suburban married life three years later. Where "True Lies" was the most expensive move ever made when it hit theaters, "Killers" had a sub $100 million production cost. It seems that I am reaching for some comparison between the films, and that is because other than being of the same sub-genre, that is where the similarities end.

There are a few laughs from Heigl as Jen who married the perfect man, then finds out that Spencer, played by Kutcher, is a former CIA contract killer, and finds out that everyone suddenly seems to be out to kill him. Ashton brings his typical semi-bumbling humor to bear, when he is not reverting and relying on his black-ops training to save his bacon from the neighbors and friends that seem to want to "retire" him. and some of the sleepers suddenly activated are pretty funny, notably Rob Riggle as Spencer's co-worker Henry. Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara are a fine couple of parents to Jen, especially O'Hara as creative boozer Mrs. Kornfeldt.

The action part of the film is mostly comprised of car chases, hand-to-hand combat and various caliber weapons. While the sleeper contract killers coming out of the woodwork keeps Spencer and Jen running and gunning, the mastermind behind the deployment of arms seemed to become a little too apparent to me simply based on one plot clue and the simple fact that most of the characters on the call sheet were already part of the killing crew.

The film works well enough to be a Saturday distraction, and fans of Heigl and Kutcher will probably like it even more. Otherwise, the storyline has been done bigger and better.

Worth: Matinee