Thursday, July 20, 2006

Heroine withdrawal

Thursday I saw My Super Ex-Girlfriend, which opens tomorrow. Don't know the purpose of this barely-a-sneak-preview -- maybe the studio hopes for word of mouth support? -- but I'm not complaining. Hey, free movie.

I'm like the opposite of a fanboy, in that I'm a bigger fan of Luke Wilson than Uma Thurman. She's just too skinny. Although she was believable and funny as a bipolar superwoman scorned, I found her unattractive. Uma, I know Quentin Tarantino has made you this yellow tracksuited icon, but the clock is ticking on your butt-kicking bankability. Eat some food and expand your range.

The film is much, much better than you'd think. It has very strong guy dialogue between the everyman protagonist (Luke Wilson) and his wisecracking best buddy (Rainn Wilson, no relation). Wanda Sykes is very funny in a limited role. And Anna Faris doesn't have to make her wide-eyed clueless Scary Movie expression until about halfway through.

Oh, and did I mention Eddie Izzard plays the supervillain? Get ready to root for his Professor Bedlam.

4 comments:

Robert said...

I was also disappointed by Uma's performance/appearance in the apalling 'Prime'. She definitely needs a new agent.

K-Lyn said...

Damn. Inner conflict between the "I'll see anything Eddie is in" instinct and the "I won't see anything Umma is in" side.

I know that Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick trumped her last time but I'm not sure with such a bad movie concept. Really, I think it would make a great SNL sketch but a whole movie?

I think I'll go re-watch Circle.

bdure said...

That's two positive reviews of this film, each with one reservation about a member of the cast. WaPo's Stephen Hunter isn't an Eddie Izzard fan, apparently, though if you read Hunter's self-indulgent reviews, you'll see that comedy isn't his thing unless HE wrote it.

Even though I watch few movies and found what little I've seen of the Kill Bill things too disturbing to watch, I think Uma is terrific. Put two lesser actors in the dance scene in Pulp Fiction, and you have crap.

(In fact, I have a controversial theory on Tarantino in general -- the only good idea he ever had was to make Pulp Fiction non-linear, and the ACTORS salvage his films. Just as the dance scene would be garbage without Travolta and Thurman striking exactly the right tone, the opening "Say WHAT again!" scene wouldn't work without Samuel L's brilliant build-up.)

Courtney said...

Eddie???? I'M IN!