The Aerie
If I never see Jude Law in a movie again it will be too soon. I think he's been in four films that I've seen in the last six months. Wait, I can actually check that, can't I? Off to IMDB...
I was right! He was in Sky Captain, Huckabees, Closer and Lemony Snicket (albeit only as the narrator). Damn, he WAS in four movies that I've seen in the last six months!
That's it, I'm creating a law. The Jude Law: if you appear in more than three films simultaneously playing in any theaters anywhere in America, you're DONE. You don't get to make any more movies, and you have to go back to your home country. You are allowed to direct or produce, but keep your face off the screen.
And if I'd been able to overcome my disdain for the book Cold Mountain, he would have been in FIVE. But I didn't like the book, and I can't say I was interested in seeing Renee Zellweger, either.
I mean, what is it with RZ? Is anyone else on board with me on this one? She has a face like a dried apple, her voice is whiny, and she has about two acting modes. When she smiles she looks like she's about to cry. When I hear or read these comments describing her as a beautiful actress, I feel like I'm in a Twilight Zone movie: if say aloud that she looks like a chipmunk sucking on a lemon, will she send me into the cornfield?
On the other hand I just borrowed "I Robot" from the Professor, and Will Smith, there's a guy who gives you the sense you could have a beer with him. That's all marketing and posture, of course, but it's SUCCESSFUL marketing and posture. He looks as if his millions haven't gotten to him.
The DVD is way disappointing. No outtakes, no extended scenes, and a single commentary track that's so deadly dull that my ears were straining past the blah-blah in order to hear the dialogue. It was the first commentary track that made me wish I could throw popcorn at the guys doing the talking. The "Making Of" is definitely worth seeing, but I'm glad I didn't buy this DVD myself...
But what terrific special effects. I don't care about the explosions and the other nonsese, I'm talking about the robots. There's not a moment in the movie when I find myself saying, "Ah, that robot is a special effect painted in later." Every scene with the robots looks as if they're actually there, part of the cast. It's easy to imagine them sitting around the extras tent playing cards between shots.
Will Smith was also in Hitch, a mildly amusing but infinitely forgettable romantic comedy. About 1/3rd of the way through I had the remainder of the movie correctly plotted in my head. And while I like Will Smith, I really don't need to see any more movies about the supposed troubles of improbably wealthy young New Yorkers. I don't care how successful a gossip columnist or Yenta one may be, you do NOT have those apartments in Manhattan.
However much I like Will Smith, however, I hope not to see him in anything more this year (and according to IMDB I won't). I can take one Will Smith movie, I can even take two. But once he gets three movies in the theaters, he's starting to creep up on The Jude Law, and then his career is OVER.....