ALL OVER THE MAP: MY MOVIE WEEKEND
Just as I’d suspected, In Her Shoes is good film…in spite of the fact that Cameron Diaz is one of the stars. She wasn’t the best casting choice, especially to hold her own opposite the exceptional Toni Collette. Collette first won me over in 1994 as the ABBA-loving bride in Muriel’s Wedding. In The Sixth Sense, she delivered a subtle yet powerful performance as Haley Joel Osment’s mom, resulting in her first and only Oscar nomination to date (for Best Supporting Actress). And in 2002, Collette had a small but pivotal and memorable role opposite Julianne Moore in The Hours.
My only thought throughout Just Like Heaven? What on earth were Reese and Ruffalo thinking when they signed on to this!? Yikes. It was difficult to watch Reese sleepwalk her way through a painfully predictable and formulaic film after just seeing her win the Best Actress Oscar. Hopefully her next choice will be worth the record-breaking $29 million dollar paycheck she’s now earning per film. Of course, Julia Roberts made $24 million for Mona Lisa Smile, and that was an expensive snoozer…
Matthew McConaughey was voted the sexiest man alive in 2005. Really? He is appealing, but is he a good actor? Are people too distracted by his pearly whites to notice or care? Personally, I am distracted by his hairline (check it out in The Wedding Planner – it’s strange). And although I am drawn to some of his movies, I find myself ambivalent about his actual talent. The first time I saw him on screen was as Drew Barrymore’s boyfriend in Boys on the Side. Shortly after that he was touted as the next big thing when starred in the adaptation of John Grisham’s A Time to Kill. Yes, he has shown us his dramatic chops in quality films like Lone Star, Amistad, and U-571, but I prefer his comedic charm in EdTV. He just signed on to star in Dear Deliah, playing a female advice columnist with a secret. Oh boy. Sounds a bit like Mrs. Doubtfire meets Little Black Book plus Someone Like You. Run, Forrest!