New Year's Eve (7/10)

These "calvacade of stars" movies are generally a complete waste of time. This one, directed by Garry Marshall, is better than most, mainly because Marshall knows his way around a comedy, plus he gets good performances from some members of his cast, like Zac Efron, Katherine Heigl, Jon Bon Jovi, and Michelle Pfeiffer, who gives her Diane Keaton impersonation.

In fact, had I not known better I would have thought that it was Diane, but the Diane of 20 years ago.

There's no plot that I could determine, just a bunch of vignettes (eight in all) about people on New Year's Eve tied together by Hilary Swank's effort to get the big ball fixed so it could drop on time. There are lots of other "stars" in this but it would take up my entire allocation of words to list them.

There is a coming-of-age first, Abigail Breslin becoming a young woman and getting a romantic kiss. Then there are those who clearly were only on the set for a day or two, like Robert De Niro, who is terminal and in bed for most of his few scenes.

There is one dichotomy that really hit home. Swank gives a maudlin speech about never giving up and second chances, a big turn around for the woman who starred in the most disgraceful homage to giving up ever made, Million Dollar Baby (2004).

Despite that, the vignettes are relatively harmless and while generally uninvolving, it's better than sitting through some other films that are out there right now. This is at least a sweet film with no lasciviousness and no profanity and a nice moral. And it's well-paced and holds your interest.

December 9, 2011

Tony Medley is a film critic accredited by the Motion Picture Association of America. His reviews may be read in several newspapers as well as on Rottentomatoes.com, the Movie Review Query Engine, mrqe.com, and at www.tonymedley.com. In addition, he’s written numerous newspaper and magazine articles for publications like The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Magazine, The Los Angeles Herald-Examiner and Good Housekeeping Magazine.

Tony Medley is a Silver Life Master in the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL), an ACBL-certified Director, and the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Bridge. With over 100,000 copies in print, it is the best selling basic bridge book. He is also the author of UCLA Basketball: The Real Story, available on Kindle, and Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed, first published in 1978 and now in its third edition with over half a million copies in print, the first book ever written about the job interview for the interviewee.

Run time 110 minutes.

 OK for children.