Movie Review Black Los Angeles

BlackNLA Movie Reviews

*****THE REEL DEAL: Reviewz from the Street*****

by Edwardo Jackson

BIASES: 30 (yikes!) year old black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare

FAILURE TO LAUNCH (PG-13)

MOVIE BIASES: Great idea, fun, fizzy trailer.

MAJOR PLAYERS: Matthew McConaughey (Sahara), Sarah Jessica Parker (The
Family Stone), Zooey Deschanel (Winter Passing), and director Tom Dey (Shanghai Knights)

Using a cute opening that firmly establishes his home-boy existence, "Failure's" Tripp (McConaughey) is a 35 year-old commitment-phobe who uses his live-in relationship with his parents as the ultimate relationship defense mechanism. Rolling as part of a trio of "men who still live at home" (Ace: Justin Bartha (National Treasure) and Demo: Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers)), Tripp proudly proclaims "It's gonna take a stick of dynamite to get me out of my parents' home." Enter Paula (Parker), a "professional interventionist" hired by Tripp's parents (Kathy Bates, Terry Bradshaw) who specializes in lighting the sticks that indeed dynamite grown men from the homes of their parents through a carefully staged, sociologically and psychologically managed dating schedule. With slight help from her screwball, nihilistically violent roommate Kit (Deschanel), Paula infiltrates Tripp's life and circle of friends, only to find herself strangely, if not slowly, falling for the charms of her client.

The year's first, effortlessly romantic comedy in the truest sense of the words, "Failure to Launch" boasts a sweet-natured, zany but fun script (by TV writers Tom J. Astle & Matt Ember) with a touch of reality to it. Although I can hear the clanging of the critics complaining about the movie's tonal split personality disorder - tennis-balling from slapstick to situational comedy - the physical comedy works in the movie's favor, especially as Tripp's bad luck with animals is humorously explained away by the philosophy-spouting Demo ("You reject Nature, therefore Nature rejects you" (I'm paraphrasing here)).

Blessed with an outstanding supporting cast who respectively play their positions, "Launch" embraces both its high concept and middlebrow origins. Justin Bartha, the supporting comic relief as Nicolas Cage's assistant in "National Security," quietly yet endearingly soars as the nerdy quotient to Bradley Cooper's wanderer-cum-slacker vibe in Tripp's machismo-soaked entourage. Kathy Bates and ex-Super Bowl champ/football analyst Terry Bradshaw (in his most "revealing" role to date, playing an actual character and not a derivative of himself) offer sound, amusing backup as a believable, curmudgeonly but loving pair of enabling parentals. And when you hire the deadpan, dry wit of the blankly pale-faced Deschanel, you've just
given her a license to steal scenes right out from under the rest of the ensemble. Only with Zooey's offbeat charm can she make a bird-icidal, relationship-challenged, mood swingy roommate turn into a comedic cornerstone.

But a romantic comedy is only as good as its romantic leads, n'est-ce pas? McConaughey, as expected, is all teeth, abs, and charmed affability. Seeming to become folksier, more comfortable with his sex symbol status (must be a clause in his contract: there's not a shirt he's wearing in this movie that's less than three buttons undone), and aggressively jock-centric in his advancing years (although, let's be honest, in Hollywood, if you've got money, growing old is like aging in reverse dog years), Matthew McConaughey carries the charisma and crossover appeal to entertain men and women alike of all demographics (he's been voted #1 in my nonscientific, informal poll of sistas - and the white males for whom they would cross the color line). His Tripp, a successful boat broker who doesn't own one (but still drives a Porsche), is an attractive guy who just so happens to choose an
"alternative lifestyle." Sarah Jessica Parker, transitioning nicely into film with another second-billed lead that plays to her rom-com strengths, is McConaughey/Tripp's perfectly suited match as Paula, who claims to "simulate" romantic relationships but never has "sex with a client" (Have you seen his abs yet, Paula? Just wait - they'll be coming around again every fifteen minutes, like an airport shuttle). She's brainy but not a show-off, deferring coyly to the male ego in
order to maneuver it; yet she is so busy pursuing her professional agenda to not even realize when she's the one being maneuvered. Parker's cool, yet emotionally vulnerable urbanity hasn't been put to such good use since her career-making run on TV's "Sex and the City."

There are a lot of laughs but echoes of emotional truth in this film. Despite featuring several conventions of the rom-com genre, "Launch" has a cute, touching, but not overly treacly third act (that is, shockingly, without "The Run" - I didn't think it possible!). Everything is faithfully grounded within the world of the movie, from
the arrested development of Tripp's love life to the emotionally stunted reality of Paula's. Creative, witty, and a slight paean to the idea (but not the actuality) of a male utopia filled with videogames, dirt bikes, and paintball, "Launch's" only failure is that it had to end.

Hollywood, we have liftoff.

@@@@ REELS
(FOUR REELS)
An urban legend/instant classic.

Like what you read? Agree/disagree with The Reel Deal? Think he's talkin' out his...HUSH YO' MOUF! (I'm only talkin' about The Reel Deal!) Email him at ReelReviewz@aol.com!

Edwardo Jackson is the author of the novels EVER AFTER and NEVA HAFTA, (Villard/Random House), a writer for UrbanFilmPremiere.com, and an LA-based screenwriter. Visit his website at www.edwardojackson.com




			BlackNLA Movie Reviews ***THE REEL DEAL: Reviewz from the Street*** by Edwardo Jackson BIASES: 30 (yikes!) year old black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare FAILURE TO LAUNCH (PG-13) MOVIE BIASES: Great idea, fun, fizzy trailer. MAJOR PLAYERS: Matthew McConaughey (Sahara), Sarah Jessica Parker (The Family Stone), Zooey Deschanel (Winter Passing), and director Tom Dey (Shanghai Knights) Using a cute opening that firmly establishes his home-boy existence, "Failure's" Tripp (McConaughey) is a 35 year-old commitment-phobe who uses his live-in relationship with his parents as the ultimate relationship defense mechanism. Rolling as part of a trio of "men who still live at home" (Ace: Justin Bartha (National Treasure) and Demo: Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers)), Tripp proudly proclaims "It's gonna take a stick of dynamite to get me out of my parents' home." Enter Paula (Parker), a "professional interventionist" hired by Tripp's parents (Kathy Bates, Terry Bradshaw) who specializes in lighting the sticks that indeed dynamite grown men from the homes of their parents through a carefully staged, sociologically and psychologically managed dating schedule. With slight help from her screwball, nihilistically violent roommate Kit (Deschanel), Paula infiltrates Tripp's life and circle of friends, only to find herself strangely, if not slowly, falling for the charms of her client. The year's first, effortlessly romantic comedy in the truest sense of the words, "Failure to Launch" boasts a sweet-natured, zany but fun script (by TV writers Tom J. Astle & Matt Ember) with a touch of reality to it. Although I can hear the clanging of the critics complaining about the movie's tonal split personality disorder - tennis-balling from slapstick to situational comedy - the physical comedy works in the movie's favor, especially as Tripp's bad luck with animals is humorously explained away by the philosophy-spouting Demo ("You reject Nature, therefore Nature rejects you" (I'm paraphrasing here)). Blessed with an outstanding supporting cast who respectively play their positions, "Launch" embraces both its high concept and middlebrow origins. Justin Bartha, the supporting comic relief as Nicolas Cage's assistant in "National Security," quietly yet endearingly soars as the nerdy quotient to Bradley Cooper's wanderer-cum-slacker vibe in Tripp's machismo-soaked entourage. Kathy Bates and ex-Super Bowl champ/football analyst Terry Bradshaw (in his most "revealing" role to date, playing an actual character and not a derivative of himself) offer sound, amusing backup as a believable, curmudgeonly but loving pair of enabling parentals. And when you hire the deadpan, dry wit of the blankly pale-faced Deschanel, you've just given her a license to steal scenes right out from under the rest of the ensemble. Only with Zooey's offbeat charm can she make a bird-icidal, relationship-challenged, mood swingy roommate turn into a comedic cornerstone. But a romantic comedy is only as good as its romantic leads, n'est-ce pas? McConaughey, as expected, is all teeth, abs, and charmed affability. Seeming to become folksier, more comfortable with his sex symbol status (must be a clause in his contract: there's not a shirt he's wearing in this movie that's less than three buttons undone), and aggressively jock-centric in his advancing years (although, let's be honest, in Hollywood, if you've got money, growing old is like aging in reverse dog years), Matthew McConaughey carries the charisma and crossover appeal to entertain men and women alike of all demographics (he's been voted #1 in my nonscientific, informal poll of sistas - and the white males for whom they would cross the color line). His Tripp, a successful boat broker who doesn't own one (but still drives a Porsche), is an attractive guy who just so happens to choose an "alternative lifestyle." Sarah Jessica Parker, transitioning nicely into film with another second-billed lead that plays to her rom-com strengths, is McConaughey/Tripp's perfectly suited match as Paula, who claims to "simulate" romantic relationships but never has "sex with a client" (Have you seen his abs yet, Paula? Just wait - they'll be coming around again every fifteen minutes, like an airport shuttle). She's brainy but not a show-off, deferring coyly to the male ego in order to maneuver it; yet she is so busy pursuing her professional agenda to not even realize when she's the one being maneuvered. Parker's cool, yet emotionally vulnerable urbanity hasn't been put to such good use since her career-making run on TV's "Sex and the City." There are a lot of laughs but echoes of emotional truth in this film. Despite featuring several conventions of the rom-com genre, "Launch" has a cute, touching, but not overly treacly third act (that is, shockingly, without "The Run" - I didn't think it possible!). Everything is faithfully grounded within the world of the movie, from the arrested development of Tripp's love life to the emotionally stunted reality of Paula's. Creative, witty, and a slight paean to the idea (but not the actuality) of a male utopia filled with videogames, dirt bikes, and paintball, "Launch's" only failure is that it had to end. Hollywood, we have liftoff. @@@@ REELS (FOUR REELS) An urban legend/instant classic. Like what you read? Agree/disagree with The Reel Deal? Think he's talkin' out his...HUSH YO' MOUF! (I'm only talkin' about The Reel Deal!) Email him at ReelReviewz@aol.com! Edwardo Jackson is the author of the novels EVER AFTER and NEVA HAFTA, (Villard/Random House), a writer for UrbanFilmPremiere.com, and an LA-based screenwriter. Visit his website at www.edwardojackson.com Â© 2004, Edwardo Jackson