Movies This Week (5/4)

Busy week this week coding for Fanpop and Cooking For Engineers, so I only managed to watch two movies on DVD: You, Me, and Dupree (2.5/5) and Smokin' Aces (2.5/5). Here's what I thought.

You, Me, and Dupree (DVD) - This comedy, ostensibly about a newly married couple, Carl and Molly (Matt Dillion and Kate Hudson), and an unexpected houseguest named Dupree (the best friend of the husband who is played by Owen Wilson) who ruins their life in a comical manner, is actually a little deeper than I expected. Although the main story line revolves Dupree (who is classic Owen Wilson), a great deal of the story hinges upon the father of the bride who dislikes Carl and sets out to alienate and immasculate his new son-in-law. This is actually the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back for Carl and leads the storyline to Dupree discovering the reason for his existance (or, dare I say it, his destiny). I was surprised by the technical and artistic sophistication in this comedy - the careful planning of shots to utilize props and set pieces to frame characters and events, never showing another (major) female's face clearly except Molly's but having their hidden presence drive most of the character's motivations - but I didn't think they added much to make this film work better as a comedy. Watch all the way to the end of the credits for a funny moment with Lance Armstrong. 2.5/5

Smokin' Aces (DVD) - This piece of work can only be described as modern film noir. The style looks like classic film noir, a Guy Ritchie movie, and quasi-Tarrantino dialogue blended together on high speed until pureed. The whole movie is taken to an excess of punctuation - the use of recognizable actors in unexpected roles or situations, the use of unexpected words in dialogue, the abrupt and gritty action sequences all serve to keep the viewer off guard and slightly off kilter as they struggle to keep up with the breakneck dialogue that drives the plot. The craziness of the movie is almost captivating however - you never know what's coming up next. If you enjoyed Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, then I expect you'll find Smokin' Aces worth watching at the very least. 2.5/5