Friday Flicks: Is New Year’s Eve the Worst Possible Way to See Out 2011?

Grab some popcorn! NewsFeed's Glen Levy brings you the movies you should check out (or avoid) this weekend.

  • Share
  • Read Later

New Year’s Eve

[youtube=http://youtu.be/k1Y2uXjsKjs]

Tagline: Let The Countdown Begin

Considering that the Christmas season seems to be upon us come summer, you can hardly blame filmmakers for being on the early side with New Year’s, too. To that end, director Garry Marshall (who did so much for that other event date, Valentine’s Day) bestows upon us New Year’s Eve, which contains one of those ensemble casts where it would easier to list the actors not appearing.

But that would hardly be in the spirit of the occasion, would it? And so the likes of – here we go! – Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Katherine Heigl, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer and Hilary Swank go toe for toe – or at least scene for scene – with (deep breath!) Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Ashton Kutcher and Zac Efron. Believe us, we’re only scratching the surface.

Why are they all there, apart from seeing in the new year with a healthy bunch of zeros in their bank accounts? Because we’re being treated to intertwining stories featuring a group of New Yorkers as they navigate their way through romance over the course of the most overhyped day in the calendar. And who could have possibly seen that coming?

The critics don’t seem overly impressed. “Mayans might have predicted the end of the world in 2012, but could they have known that the countdown to eternal hellfire would begin with Garry Marshall’s New Year’s Eve?” begins the Village Voice‘s review (and that might have been the kindest comment contained in it). “Each plot thread is worse than the last,” notes Time Out New York while the AP is of the opinion that “If there is some kind of world record for schmaltz, this may have set it.” At least on the plus side, Kutcher plays a guy who hates New Year’s Eve. We couldn’t think of a better way for him to find his way back into our good graces.

LIST: TIME’s Worst Movies of 2011

The Sitter

[youtube=http://youtu.be/japyVYImEcM]

You can’t accuse Jonah Hill of not going the extra mile to promote his new movie, The Sitter. When profiled by our own Joel Stein, Hill happily babysat Stein’s son (with hilarious results available to watch here). Thank goodness the movie wasn’t called The Killer.

Instead, Hill plays Noah, who, natch, is the world’s most irresponsible babysitter (he’s a suspended college student). And guess what? He’s only taking three of the world’s worst kids on an overnight adventure through the streets of New York. Ah, Hollywood plots: we shall never tire of you.

But let’s face it: it was high time for a reimagining (of sorts) to 1987’s Adventures in Babysitting, with a nod to Superbad thrown in, wasn’t it? And in the hands of director David Gordon Green, creativity is at least assured. When’s he tried wacky before though, results have been mixed: for every Pineapple Express (good wacky) you get Your Highness (bad wacky).

Critics are no less conflicted. TIME’s Mary Pols acknowledges Hill’s “beautiful timing” but concludes that the movie “falls far short of the joyous insanity of the raunchy/sweet Superbad.” The Las Vegas Weekly is far less kind:The humor in The Sitter is crude and unoriginal, with an overreliance on racial stereotypes and the concept that small children saying anything remotely vulgar is hilarious.” Gulp. But no matter how the film performs, Hill won’t actually have to take up babysitting to pay the bills just yet.

MORE: The Top 10 Least Sexy Sex-Filled Movies

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

[youtube=http://youtu.be/LPKhWXhiMSw]

Tagline: The Secret Is Out

Among the numerous things Brits don’t like other people doing (making tea, calling football “soccer”) we can probably add to that list, “remaking Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” The beloved 1979 BBC miniseries, from John Le Carré’s 1974 novel, was a master class in slow-burning drama. It starred, among others, Alec Guinness, who played George Smiley, the agent recalled to duty to unearth a Russian mole who has somehow infiltrated the top level of command.

Smiley is now being taken on by Gary Oldman, while his cohorts (the title is a reference to their various nicknames) are portrayed by Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds and Colin Firth. And director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) nails this reboot (or however you want to term it) by not updating the action to modern day but keeping the beige, almost cigarette-infested colors of the ’70s intact. What’s more, he refuses to shy away from the nasty, bullying, and downright vicious relationships on show, rather than let any James Bond tendencies win the day, such as getting the bad guy and the girl.

The reviews are almost unanimous raves. “What a treat this film is, and what an unexpected thrill,” was the Guardian‘s summation. A “brooding, fluidly crafted movie adaptation” said The Village Voice while the Daily Telegraph reckons that “it’s packed with superb British actors, all at the top of their game, with the lengthy book skilfully condensed into just over two hours of riveting narrative.” And if the Brits give TTSS their seal of approval, you know you’re onto a winner.

LIST: Top 10 Movies of 2011

NewsFeed’s Flicks Pick: Don’t expect too much in the way of out and out action, but Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a mighty fine way to spend a couple of hours this weekend.

  1. Previous
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3