Tag: Kirsten Dunst

On the Road

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 2:04 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

On the Road
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: IFC Films
Blu-ray Release Date: August 6, 2013
Kiddie Movie: There is sex, drugs, and jazz. Send them to bed.
Date Movie: If she likes sex, drugs, jazz, and a long, drawn-out tale of boys and a girl travelling across the country.
Gratuitous Sex: Quite a bit.
Gratuitous Violence: Ehh.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Ehh.
Memorable Scene: Sadly even some of the more shocking scenes didn’t shock me.
Memorable Quote: Nah.
Directed By: Walter Salles

I wanted to like “On the Road” a lot more than I did, I think mostly because I think I was supposed to. I guess that’s not a great start for a review, at least if you are thinking of getting the movie, but there was a part of me just waiting for Sal’s travels to end.

“On the Road” is the film adaptation of the novel by Jack Kerouac by the same name. Having not read the book, whether or not the movie is a fair adaptation of the book I couldn’t tell you, but I do know that what seems like should be an interesting story of the travels of a young writer across the highways and byways of these United States turns into, at least for me, an uninteresting after uninteresting story of Sal the writer, played by Sam Riley, and Dean the ex-con, played by Garrett Hedlund, with Dean’s woman, Marylou (Kristen Stewart) along for the ride. Sure, they come across all kinds of characters in their journeys, and sure, all of them being kind of young they all seem to be searching for life’s meaning, but after a while I just wanted to tell them to stop and finally tell me exactly what is going on.

Sure, Kristen Stewart isn’t her normally brooding self that we know and love/hate from “The Twilight Saga” stuff, and she’s actually kind of a spitfire, but as the movie plods along from one escapade to another, I just got bored.

From the critical acclaim that the book has received over the years, I’m thinking that, in the end, it’s probably a story best left to the pages of a Kindle. The movie looked great, especially bringing a lot of the periodness as it was set in the late 50’s, and the scenery of the United States and the parlay into Mexico with a giant joint were beautifully shot, but as Jack/Sal was punching a line into his typewriter at the end, “I first met Dean…”, I was glad the story was over.

Maybe it was my mood at the time, but I doubt it, as usually I can be easily drawn into any story about people meeting fun people, and living on the edge, but not this time. The boys get in trouble, they boys smoke weed, the boys get laid, and the boys see the country. In the end the boys ended up kind of boring to me with a story that’s been told a hundred times before. It’s 2 stars out of 5 for “In The End.” I think I wanted more with the reputation I kept seeing about the book, and maybe that ruined it for me. Nah, I just didn’t like it.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:48 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: Focus Features
Release Date: 2004
Kiddie Movie: A little too involved for them.
Date Movie: Sure, it’s romantic.
Gratuitous Sex: A little.
Gratuitous Violence: Not really.
Action: Not really.
Laughs: Quite a few, but not gutbusters.
Memorable Scene: Joel and Clementine trying to hide the memory of her somewhere else in Joel’s memories.
Memorable Quote: Nothing stood out.
Directed By: Michael Gondry

Part of me really appreciated the clever story and great acting in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” but as I was leaving most of me was saying “What the hell was that?” Let’s start with the story.

As the movie begins, we are introduced to Joel (Jim Carrey). He wakes up, finds his car is damaged, and begins his trek to work only to decide on a whim to go to Long Island. In a diner Joel sees Clementine (Kate Winslet), and makes the comment that he falls in love with any woman who will give him time of day. Low and behold, we see Clementine and Joel on the train back to the city where they hit it off. Then the opening credits roll, and we next find Joel, ready to give Clementine a Valentine’s Day/Make-up gift (they got in a big fight). At the bookstore Clementine doesn’t seem to know who Joel is, seems to already have a boyfriend, and Joel is really confused, until he finds out that Clementine had all memory of him erased. Not to be outdone, Joel decides to visit the same clinic and have Clementine erased from his memory as well. And then the fun begins.

So he meets Dr. Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkenson), his receptionist, Mary (Kirsten Dunst), and the Doc’s technicians, Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick (Elijah Wood). Joel gets set for the procedure by bringing every memento of him and Clementine, to trigger memory responses, which our good technicians will erase when Joel is drugged to sleep. So at first Joel is alright with these memories being erased, after all, they are the crappy memories at the end of the relationship. But slowly he gets to memories of Clementine when things are good and he no longer wants to forget her, but remember the good times. The problem is that Joel’s asleep, that and the fact that we’ve got two of the most unethical technicians and a stoned receptionist not paying attention to Joel’s fighting the procedure.

This is where the fun comes, with Joel and Clementine trying to find a place to hide Clementine’s memory in an old memory not scheduled to be erased. We get a trip to one of Joel’s most embarrassing moments (it’s pretty funny), Joel as a little kid in a giant kitchen, until eventually the Doc has to be called in to finally get rid of Clementine once and for all.

Alright, the story sounds a little complicated, and it is, but if you follow along, I think you’ll have fun with this movie. The only problem I had was that from the trailers, well, it really depicted this as more of a comedy than this movie is. It’s actually more of a romantic drama, with some comedic spots put in. Don’t think Jim Carrey as funny man, think of Jim Carrey as drama man, kinda more like he was in “The Truman Show” rather than “Bruce Almighty.” And he’s great at it, playing the loser-ish Joel, then the guy in a crappy relationship, then the guy in love, then the guy trying desperately not to lose the memory of the love of his life. Kate Winslet is great too. She plays Clementine with a whimsical look most of the time, until the end of their relationship when her talking too much is the problem, mostly because she’s not really asking how they can get their relationship back to its blissful period. You hate her, but then you really like her, and then everything comes together at the ending.

So, is the movie good? Well, I’m classifying “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” as an artsy romantic drama with some comedic elements to lighten the mood. Visually impressive with a creative story, Charlie Kaufman writes an entertaining look at if we really want bad memories erased. This is also the first movie that comes close to showing a person inside a dream, sometimes able to control the actions in the dream, then losing control, then controlling it again. It’s a weird experience when you’re dreaming, then realizing you’re in a dream and can control what’s going on (sometimes I’m able to do that), and the filmmakers have really brought this to light. And if they’re looking for any more wacky stories in a dream state, I can give them tons, like the butterman incident or the magic stones that turn into a staircase at the bowling alley. I’m sorry, I digress, back to the movie.

Anyway, if you like a more artsy movie, “Eternal Sunshine…” is as good as any. If you’re looking for an all-out comedy, keep looking and stay away. So I guess, in the end, even saying “What the hell was that?”, that I did like this movie. The acting was great, you get to see Kirsten Dunst in panties and an almost see-through top, and the story is kinda wacky. It’s just not the story I expected from the trailers. 4 stars out of 5 for this one, but remember, this isn’t an all-out laugh fest.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Elizabethtown

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 2:03 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Elizabethtown
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Biel, Alec Baldwin
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: 2005
Directed By: Cameron Crowe,

There’s a huge plus for this movie, namely the likes of Cameron Crowe being the Director, and it’s looking like a romantic comedy with a couple of twists.

It seems Drew (Orlando Bloom) made a big mistake at his working gig, his life is falling apart, and the only answer is to end it all. Then, to top it all off, his dad dies and he has to head to his hometown of Elizabethtown. On the way he meets a stewardess, I mean flight attendant, Claire (Kirsten Dunst), and now he has a buddy to vent with, and love ensues.

Claire helps Drew get through his bad times, Drew falls for Claire, and love is in the air.

This looks like a good movie for the both of everyone, and Cameron Crowe is pretty good at making movies that don’t get too sappy for the dudes yet just sappy enough for the dudettes, and this movie is already getting a little buzz for a statue nomination for one of those statue nomination folks.

That’s it for this preview! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Bring It On

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:38 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Bring It On
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 2000
Kiddie Movie: Lots of sexual innuendo – see quotes below.
Date Movie: She’ll probably just think you’re a pervert if you suggest it.
Gratuitous Sex: Lots of talk but nothing on screen.
Gratuitous Violence: A broken leg and bloody nose, but it just goes along with the job.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Quite a few if you’re older and understand them.
Memorable Scene: When the girls are holding cheerleader tryouts and one girl acts like a stripper, when the girls hire the choreographer, and the final competition.
Memorable Quote: So many, so little space, but here’s a few:
“You’re having cheer sex with him!”
“Guys want to touch my chest!”
“Is that your band or something” as Torrance checks out Cliff’s t-shirt with “The Clash” on it (boy I felt old).
“You speak fag.”
“If you stop eating, maybe your body will eat your ass.”
Directed By: Peyton Reed

Well I’m thinking the ratings board made a mistake in creating the PG-13 rating. Why? Because it has opened up an entirely new group of movies that would probably be rated R except the filmmakers got rid of the blatant nudity and eliminated the sex. The latest movie in this group is “Bring It On.”

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun, spirited movie, totally targeted at the teen group, but I’m thinking the younger teens are going to be excited to see this movie rather than the older teens, and for the youngins I just think it’s too adult. Maybe I’m just beginning to become an old fart, but if you’re giving me a movie with cheerleaders running around in their underwear and spouting tons of sexual innuendos, please make it about college cheerleaders, let them be naked, and go all out.

The story kinda plays out like this: Kristen Dunst plays Torrance who has just been elected as Captain of the cheerleading squad. Their squad is the best, has been for years, but the problem is that they have been stealing the cheers of a different school, an inner-city school. Well, for once, the other school is headed to the competition, Torrence finds out about the stolen cheers before the competition, hires a choreographer to draft a new cheer, only to be humiliated at regional’s when another school does their cheer routine first. All is not lost, however, because they still have three weeks until nationals (they get invited back no matter how much they suck because they are the previous champions), and Torrance finds it in her soul to rally the cheerleaders to come up with something brand new. And, oh yea, you also get a “he went off to college and I still love him but there’s this new kid at school who I’m digging” story line, the affluent versus the inner-city school story line, the “is it better to win or not be cheaters” story line, and the “are guy cheerleaders gay?” story line.

So many story lines, so little time, and all the while they might have had the high-schoolers having sex because they sure insinuated it enough.

It was a cheesy movie about competition and motivation (hell, I almost felt like cheering during the final competitions), but still enjoyable. The movie, though, could have had such a more wholesome appeal without all of the sexual innuendos. I’m not saying that I didn’t laugh at them, hell, I found them rather funny, but I’m just wondering if the 12 year olds were hopping in the car as mom would drive them home and ask “What’s cheer sex?” in response to Torrance’s friends egging her “You’re having cheer sex with him!” Maybe they have to learn sometime.

So I see “Bring It On” as this: They should have cleaned it up and made it about competition and motivation rather than sex; or – gone balls out, made them college cheerleaders, and made the movie into a quality skin-flick to be shown on late night cable. It’s too bad sometimes that PG-13 let’s Hollywood tread that line. Maybe they need a PG-16 rating?

The competition scenes were great, the love story was nice, the bickering of high-schoolers was right on, and the poking at cheerleaders was cute at times. It’s too bad I felt a little dirty after seeing it. It’s 2 ½ stars out of 5, but I’d rate it at least PG-16.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

crazy/beautiful

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:39 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

crazy/beautiful
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Jay Hernandez, Bruce Davison
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Touchstone Pictures
Release Date: 2001
Kiddie Movie: It’s a deep drama – bring the older ones.
Date Movie: She might get a tear in her eye.
Gratuitous Sex: Kirsten almost gets naked, lots of bra-less shirts.
Gratuitous Violence: Not really.
Action: Not really.
Laughs: Nah.
Memorable Scene: There were a few but I won’t give any of them away.
Memorable Quote: Maddy – “I forgot to wear anything!”
Another scene, Nicole – “I’ve got a condom, he’d be so proud.
Directed By: John Stockwell

Are you looking for a good drama, even if it is a teen drama? You are. Well go see “crazy/beautiful.”

I was tricked by the trailer, much like I was tricked by the “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” trailer. I thought “A.I.” would be a great family film but, after seeing it, well, I say leave the family at home. I thought “crazy/beautiful” was going to be your generic “boy on the wrong side of the tracks trying to sleep with the rich chick and the families just don’t understand” kind of movie, and, well, one of the families didn’t understand, not the family you might think, and “crazy/beautiful” somehow turned into a great film that, yea, I’m a puss, but brought a tear to my eye.

I hesitate to give too much away about this film except the following. Nicole (Kirsten Dunst) comes from a rich family but she’s a wild child. Carlos is from the other side of town just trying his best to get into the Naval Academy. But love is love and you can’t stop it, and neither can Nicole and Carlos. You would think Nicole’s dad, Tom (Bruce Davison) would want Carlos to have nothing to do with his daughter, that Carlos isn’t good enough for his daughter, but in this movie it’s the other way around. No, Dad wants Carlos to stay away from his daughter because he knows Nicole will ruin the boy’s life of becoming all that he could be. Dad is afraid of his daughter, the daughter just doesn’t understand, and my synopsis is short because, in the end, the trailer showing the wrong type of film was actually better because not knowing some of the plot points, well, that turned “crazy/beautiful” into a great film.

Kirsten Dunst is great in her role as Nicole. She’s screwed up, mixed up, a rich chick driving a crap car and just trying to get through being 17. Jay Hernandez is pretty alright too as Carlos, the dude whose family is relying on him to be the one that gets out of the hood and make something of himself. And, well, that’s about all I’m going to say about this film because it’s too good as long as you don’t know what it’s really about.

Kirsten almost got naked, yet, didn’t, which, actually, was even hotter. Jay, I wasn’t really looking at Jay although the dudettes probably would find him hot. And “crazy/beautiful” is one of those great drama type films that you will be too afraid to see thinking it will be your generic teen story, but it’s not. Seeing it might give you a little insight into your kids, seeing it might make you remember a little about your high school days, and seeing “crazy/beautiful” won’t waste you money if you’re looking for a decent drama about life and growing up. It’s 4 stars out of 5 for “crazy/beautiful.”

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!