Movie Review Black Los Angeles

BlackNLA Movie Reviews

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

by Edwardo Jackson

BIASES: Early 30s black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare

KNOCKED UP (R)

MOVIE BIASES: Even though it earns Mom's seal of approval, I still want to see it.

MAJOR PLAYERS: Seth Rogen (The 40 Year Old Virgin), Katherine Heigl(TV's "Grey's Anatomy"), Paul Rudd (Clueless), and writer/directorJudd Apatow (The 40 Year Old Virgin)

We've been here before: Mom trumps Son by seeing movie with her little Seattle screening group. Mom raves about movie. Son sees movie and does the opposite. Lather, rinse, repeat. But wait - Mom unconditionally LOVES "Knocked Up," what looks like a truly R-rated comedy in theme and spirit? Did she finally get one right? Read on…

Fast-tracking TV producer Alison Scott (Heigl) backs into a one-night stand with schlubby loser Ben Stone (Rogen) whose glazed "I can't believe I'm here" look affirms the fact that she is far "prettier" than he is. One awkward morning after and two months of silence later, Alison finds out that she's pregnant. With the support of her haranguing, married sister Debbie (Leslie Mann) and her laid back yet secretive husband Pete (Rudd), Alison decides to keep the baby and foster a relationship with Ben and his ambition-allergic roommates (Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Martin Starr, Jonah Hill).

This is usually where I'd sarcastically say "hilarity ensues." In this case, I'll drop the sarcasm but double down on the hilarity. Going out on no limb whatsoever, I'd dare say that "Knocked Up" is one of the funniest movies of all-time. We're talking a sitcom (bass ackwards setup of trying to date your one night stand cum babydaddy) on cocaine - not the "New Jack City" stuff but the pure, high quality "Scarface" stuff - where the old TV mantra "a laugh per page" is like the speed
limit - observed, but used as the minimum. Production-wise, this $30 million dollar movie that could contains some of the most caustic, rapid-fire wit EVER, thanks to the newly minted king of mainstream comedy Judd Apatow. How funny are this script and its direction? It's a hilarious universe where even a doorman cameo is comedic gold. Mix in its x-ray vision for the truth about relationships plus one of the
best verbal smackdowns in cinematic history and "Knocked Up" has a firm foundation of funny.

Dipping into his well of "Freaks and Geeks" (Apatow's TV apprenticeship where he had worked with many of these same actors), Apatow employs such an exemplary supporting cast, the movie approaches the finest of ensemble comedy. Leslie Mann is at both scary (repressed, acid-tongued) but sympathetic (youth-obsessed, clingy) as wife to the overly serviceable (some might say woefully unsung) Paul Rudd as her henpecked pushover of a husband ("The biggest problem in our marriage is that she wants me around?") Ben's perfectly cast loser crew could be (and in some cases have) a movie of their own: Jason Segel's lovably smarmy, wannabe lothario is a nice departure from his sweet-as-Midwestern-pie Marshall on TV's "How I Met Your Mother" (and far more amusing, to boot); Jonah Hill's edgy, profane pessimist
primes the pump for his leading role in this summer's upcoming, Apatow-touched "Superbad;" Jay Baruchel is a skinny Canadian nerd while Martin Starr is a hairy, misunderstood one. That the four of these guys have pinned their hopes and dreams on creating a website with the name FleshOfTheStars.com is all-too pathetic and possible. Which brings us to…

Seth Rogen has an unassuming, leading man quality as if he's been there before. He doesn't just hold his own onscreen against "Grey's Anatomy's" hottest doc Izzie Stevens, er, Katherine Heigl, he absconds with it. Steals it. Lights the mofo on FIRE. A weedhead with a penchant for lots of geeky, sci-fi fanboy references, Rogen's Ben is amiably mired in a state of perpetual adolescence, faced with the
rigors and terrors of having to have a real, adult relationship with Alison and help raise a child when he still is one. It's an entertaining, memorable, terribly fumbling and human performance that will leave you with at least one memorable quote in your head: "I didn't do 'shrooms in Vegas!"

Wildly entertaining from start to finish, "Knocked Up" marvelously weaves guy cringeworthy moments into therapist approved self-examination. Although a little long for a comedy at 129 minutes, it never drags because you're laughing from the gut (not the throat) so often. As much as it pains me to say it but…ugh…Mother knows best.

@@@@ 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 EJAce1@gmail.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: Early 30s black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare KNOCKED UP (R) MOVIE BIASES: Even though it earns Mom's seal of approval, I still want to see it. MAJOR PLAYERS: Seth Rogen (The 40 Year Old Virgin), Katherine Heigl(TV's "Grey's Anatomy"), Paul Rudd (Clueless), and writer/directorJudd Apatow (The 40 Year Old Virgin) We've been here before: Mom trumps Son by seeing movie with her little Seattle screening group. Mom raves about movie. Son sees movie and does the opposite. Lather, rinse, repeat. But wait - Mom unconditionally LOVES "Knocked Up," what looks like a truly R-rated comedy in theme and spirit? Did she finally get one right? Read on… Fast-tracking TV producer Alison Scott (Heigl) backs into a one-night stand with schlubby loser Ben Stone (Rogen) whose glazed "I can't believe I'm here" look affirms the fact that she is far "prettier" than he is. One awkward morning after and two months of silence later, Alison finds out that she's pregnant. With the support of her haranguing, married sister Debbie (Leslie Mann) and her laid back yet secretive husband Pete (Rudd), Alison decides to keep the baby and foster a relationship with Ben and his ambition-allergic roommates (Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Martin Starr, Jonah Hill). This is usually where I'd sarcastically say "hilarity ensues." In this case, I'll drop the sarcasm but double down on the hilarity. Going out on no limb whatsoever, I'd dare say that "Knocked Up" is one of the funniest movies of all-time. We're talking a sitcom (bass ackwards setup of trying to date your one night stand cum babydaddy) on cocaine - not the "New Jack City" stuff but the pure, high quality "Scarface" stuff - where the old TV mantra "a laugh per page" is like the speed limit - observed, but used as the minimum. Production-wise, this $30 million dollar movie that could contains some of the most caustic, rapid-fire wit EVER, thanks to the newly minted king of mainstream comedy Judd Apatow. How funny are this script and its direction? It's a hilarious universe where even a doorman cameo is comedic gold. Mix in its x-ray vision for the truth about relationships plus one of the best verbal smackdowns in cinematic history and "Knocked Up" has a firm foundation of funny. Dipping into his well of "Freaks and Geeks" (Apatow's TV apprenticeship where he had worked with many of these same actors), Apatow employs such an exemplary supporting cast, the movie approaches the finest of ensemble comedy. Leslie Mann is at both scary (repressed, acid-tongued) but sympathetic (youth-obsessed, clingy) as wife to the overly serviceable (some might say woefully unsung) Paul Rudd as her henpecked pushover of a husband ("The biggest problem in our marriage is that she wants me around?") Ben's perfectly cast loser crew could be (and in some cases have) a movie of their own: Jason Segel's lovably smarmy, wannabe lothario is a nice departure from his sweet-as-Midwestern-pie Marshall on TV's "How I Met Your Mother" (and far more amusing, to boot); Jonah Hill's edgy, profane pessimist primes the pump for his leading role in this summer's upcoming, Apatow-touched "Superbad;" Jay Baruchel is a skinny Canadian nerd while Martin Starr is a hairy, misunderstood one. That the four of these guys have pinned their hopes and dreams on creating a website with the name FleshOfTheStars.com is all-too pathetic and possible. Which brings us to… Seth Rogen has an unassuming, leading man quality as if he's been there before. He doesn't just hold his own onscreen against "Grey's Anatomy's" hottest doc Izzie Stevens, er, Katherine Heigl, he absconds with it. Steals it. Lights the mofo on FIRE. A weedhead with a penchant for lots of geeky, sci-fi fanboy references, Rogen's Ben is amiably mired in a state of perpetual adolescence, faced with the rigors and terrors of having to have a real, adult relationship with Alison and help raise a child when he still is one. It's an entertaining, memorable, terribly fumbling and human performance that will leave you with at least one memorable quote in your head: "I didn't do 'shrooms in Vegas!" Wildly entertaining from start to finish, "Knocked Up" marvelously weaves guy cringeworthy moments into therapist approved self-examination. Although a little long for a comedy at 129 minutes, it never drags because you're laughing from the gut (not the throat) so often. As much as it pains me to say it but…ugh…Mother knows best. @@@@ 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 EJAce1@gmail.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 © 2007, Edwardo Jackson