The Newsroom "I'll Try to Fix You"

          Once again, Aaron Sorkin (the writer and creator of The Newsroom) delivered a fabulous episode. The fourth episode, "I'll Try to Fix You", was perfectly titled because it dealt with fixing people up for dates, fixing relationships, and fixing the news industry.
          While at a New Years Eve office party, Will McAvoy decided to take a risk and talk to a beautiful woman.  Little did he know, that she was a gossip columnist intent on writing a 'takedown piece' on a celebrity. Will tries to convince her that she it being cruel but fails because he insults her. She throws her drink in his face which lands him in a tabloid the following day. Several similar situations happen all with the same outcome. By the end of the episode, Will is on the front page of a gossip magazine. Its ironic yet beautiful that Will tried to save a celebrity from the wrath of a gossip columnist, but ended up the victim himself.
          While I love every episode of The Newsroom, this episode stands out above the rest because Aaron Sorkin criticized the cruel world of tabloid news. After watching this episode, I started thinking about how insensitive the news can be. Many people fail to realize that their entertainment (tabloids) is at the expense of other people's lives. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes announced that they were getting divorce a few days ago, which has given Extra and TMZ a lot to talk about.  As soon as I heard about the divorce, I pitied them nobody wants to have a broken heart, especially when its broadcasted across the world within minutes. According to the Holmes and Rahe stress scale, divorce is the second highest cause of illness after the death of a spouse. That being said, its pathetic and cruel use these stranger's relationship as a form of amusement. Luckily, I believe Aaron Sorkin and I share the same views on entertainment news which contributed to my praise of this episode.

The Newsroom "Pilot"

          Aaron Sorkin, writer and creator of The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and writer for The Social Network, has created another masterpiece called The Newsroom.  Sorkin has written an unbelievable script with immensely complex characters that makes The Newsroom a highly compelling television show.

          I can easily say that the pilot episode of The Newsroom was practically flawless. The purpose of the pilot episode is to make viewers want to watch more of the show.  This means, that the pilot episode must be stunning and highly captivating.  I have seen many shows succeed and fail when it comes to a compelling pilot episode and I have realized the two keys to success. The most important part to a pilot episode is the first few minutes because that is when it is easiest to change the channel. The Newsroom, created not only an impecable first scene, but one of my favorite scenes in all of television. If that scene were moved a few minutes later in the show, I don't believe I would have finished the episode. The second most important part of a pilot episode is the ending. It seems obvious that these would be the two most important parts, but Sorkin did a phenomenal job at connecting the ending with the beginning, while creating enough questions and drama that make the viewer want to continue into episode two. 

          While I only seen one episode of The West Wing, I can easily say that The Newsroom has a lot in common with the political drama. Both shows are focused on dialogue, which is extremely hard to due because the dialogue has to be interesting enough to keep the viewers attention. One way that Sorkin effectively creates tension with dialogue is with the 'walk and talk'.  Made famous by Thomas Schlamme in Sports Night and The West Wing, the 'walk and talk' is where a few characters will have a conversation and are joined by other characters to show how busy the characters are. 

          Not only is The Newsroom incredibly well written, but it also doesn't have too many political affiliations.  If it was about a liberal news team, the conservatives would be less inclined to watch, and vice versa. The show focuses on 'doing what is right' which should satisfy most people.

          With a phenomenal pilot episode, and immaculate writing thanks to creator and writer Aaron Sorkin, I can see The Newsroom becoming incredibly popular.

          

Game of Thrones Pilot Episode

          Set in the mythical land of Westeros, seven families fight for control of the Iron Throne as threats arise from the snow covered region of the North and the barbarians from the East. 

          The story, based on the A Song of Fire and Ice novels written by George R. R. Martin, is extremely interesting and original. Based on what I have read in the past, fantasy novels are usually very similar because there is some noble quest, a king or princess in danger, and strange mythical beasts. Within the first 5 minutes of the pilot episode, we are introduced to some of these mythical beasts. These White Walkers have been known to be extinct for thousands of years which is why their arrival is so intense. This scene is incredibly unique because it added a mixed the genre of horror into the fantasy based television show.

          The second thing about Game of Thrones that immediately grabbed my attention was the opening title sequence. The mythical land of Westeros is shown like a traditional map. The camera moves to and from various several cities and towns from above. As the camera moves in closer, we see that these towns are rising from nothing, into their current state much like a robot or Transformer. This provides the viewer with an quick overview of the land and setting. Much of the landscape is small and not very detailed, much like a map would be. Finally, the camera moves up and focuses on the sun which has several metal rings rotating around it, one of which says Game of Thrones. While these rings aren’t really rotating around the sun, they add an intriguing effect. The visual effects are mind blowing and have already won an Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Design.  

          Based on the first episode alone, the characters do not have any unique traits that make them stand out. Lord Eddard Stark, played by Sean Bean, is probably the most interesting character. Father of 5 and one bastard child, he is the Lord of the Northern Kingdom. He and his family live in the peaceful town of Winterfell. The most attractive quality about Lord Eddard Stark is his loyalty to his family. He never takes the easy way out with his family and always will fix a matter himself because it is his duty (as the father and Lord) to do so.

          I should have expected that this HBO show would have questionable content but I thought it wouldn’t because it falls in the fantasy genre. I knew there would be blood and violence but did not anticipate the nudity and language. There were probably about 5 scenes with nudity in them. Some of these were more graphic than others but almost all of them were unnecessary to the basic plot of the story.  Probably the worst instance of this were when a teenage prince takes the clothes off of his sister to convince her to flaunt her body more. While this treads on the line of incest, it could have easily been removed from the story without notice. Various sex scenes within brothels and barbarian camps showed female nudity and would have been a bit harder to avoid, but still could have been done

          Along with excessive nudity, the language was surprising. There were a 2 or 3 instances where characters used “fuck” in a sexually explicit way. Minor curse words were also used which wasn’t surprising.

          Based on the explicit content of the show, I probably shouldn’t advise anyone to watch Game of Thrones. Dead animals, full beheadings, guts, and gore are all shown within the first episode. I only expect the violent content to get worse over the course of the season. This being said, if you are over 18 years old, I think you would be able to handle the violence and the language.

          The nudity is a bit over the tip and could easily be cut down. Personally, I hate nudity in TV shows and movies because I think it is a distraction from the plot. Also, it is only used to reel men into watching the show. The nudity is the only reason why I wouldn’t recommend the show to someone, but I feel that the positive elements of the show (the characters, setting, plot, and themes) outweigh the nudity.

          While Game of Thrones has its share of explicit material, it is constantly winning awards and is becoming quite popular. After the first 5 minutes, I can easily say that I became addicted and didn’t expect my addiction to stop any time soon.

I Love You Phillip Morris

          One of the main reasons why I love the movie I Love You Phillip Morris is because of the storyline. I have always been drawn to films that deal with con men and thieves because of their performance and dedication to their “job”. Some of my favorites (along with I Love You Phillip Morris) are 21, Catch Me If You Can, Ocean’s Eleven, and The Town.

          Along with Catch Me If You Can, I Love You Phillip Morris is actually a true story. Steven Jay Russell (Jim Carrey) was an honest man until a car accident forced him to reevaluate his life. It was at this point that he came out as a homosexual and becomes a con man to support his expensive gay lifestyle. Russell ends up in prison where he falls madly in love with a fellow inmate Phillip Morris. Their romance blossoms and the two are released from prison. However Steven falls back into his stealing routine and ends up back in prison. In order to be with Phillip, Steven breaks out of prison multiple times and always ends up back where he started. 

          In addition to the amazing story, the dialogue is absolutely hilarious. Every time I watch I Love You Phillip Morris, I catch new lines that I hadn’t noticed before that are hysterical. Luckily, a lot of the humor fits Jim Carrey’s style. Sadly, most of my favorite lines are not appropriate so I probably shouldn’t repeat them.

          While the real Steven Jay Russell is a chubby, bald man, Jim Carrey played the character perfectly. Carrey and McGregor were consulted by Russell (who was still in prison) about personality traits and how to act. When watching the film later, Russell said, “They’ve got it down. The way they speak, the mannerisms, the clothes - everything. Its surreal.” 

          According to the MPAA, (Motion Picture Association of America) I Love You Phillip Morris is rated R for sexual content including strong dialogue, and language. Within the film, there are a few heterosexual and homosexual sex scenes, but there is no nudity shown. The only nudity is labeled as “non-sexual,” which occurs during a prison shower scene revealing the backsides of a few men. 

          I expected the language of I Love You Phillip Morris to be like many other prison/heist movies. Depending on how you define “swear words,” there were between 75 and 100 explicit words used in the film. About 50 of these were the f-word which is almost never appropriate.

          Surprisingly, there was very little violence in the film, despite a large portion taking place in prison. There is only one remotely violent prison scene where a prisoner is beaten up by an inmate. This scene could easily be in a PG-13 movie because it is not graphic. Additionally, there is a car accident and a man accidentally falls off of a building. Both of these scenes imply some brutality but show none.

          While the film is a bit inappropriate, it definitely has its positive elements. Due to the amazing writing, dialogue, and actors, we begin to love the characters and appreciate the love that they have for each other, despite the fact that they are homosexuals. Seeing a homosexual relationship in a positive light is a wonderful change from the hating, judgmental, people by whom I am usually surrounded.

          Other than the homosexual nature of the film, the only content worthy of discretion is the language. Most of the explicit language is used comedically, but is not really justified in its use. That being said, the film would not be the same if the language was cut out. Imagine what The Hangover would be like if all the swearing was removed. The comedic atmosphere of the film would be nonexistent, thus making the film more of a drama. 

          I can think of many people who would not watch I Love You Phillip Morris because it is about homosexuals, but the film is more than that. It is about two people who meet in prison, fall in love, and do anything to stay together.  Not only is this dramatic comedy incredibly entertaining, but it is also a true story. Anyone who has ever loved, lost, or connected with another person in any way should find this movie both entertaining and relatable. 

The Grey

          To be rather blunt, I found The Grey to be an entertaining waste of my time. I had gone into the film with a friend without knowing much about it which proved to be a grave mistake. What I learned later, is that the premise is that of many other movies such as Buried, The Blair Witch Project, and Apocalypto.  For most films, there is a healthy balance of the pieces of the dramatic structure. Usually, there is an introduction, rising action, a climax, falling action, and a resolution, but The Grey consisted of all rising action. This can make for an entertaining film, but I have realized that these types of movies are only fun to watch once or maybe twice.

          Along with the structure, I found the plot to be unoriginal. The Grey shared a similar plot to many wilderness, plane crash, thriller films. SPOILER ALERT!!! One by one, the characters get picked off by the vicious wolves and Liam Nesson is left alone. Some of the deaths are rather brutal, but none of them are very sad. 

          The main reason I disliked The Grey is because it has an unnecessarily depressing ending. As I said, one by one, the characters get eaten or ripped to shreds by wolves, freeze in the horrific conditions, or drown. Ottway (Liam Nesson) is left screaming at God to show him a sign that He exists, but no sign comes. A few minutes later, it is implied that Nesson gets mauled to death by the alpha wolf and the movie ends. I am not saying that he should have lived, but rather that the ending should be more satisfying. This could have easily been accomplished by having God give Ottway a sign of His existence right before his death. Disappointing to say the least.

          I highly doubt that I will ever watch this movie again because of the ending. However, the rest of the movie was incredibly entertaining!  I regret seeing The Grey in theaters because it seems only worthy of a $1 rental.

Hitch

          Easily one of the most well written romantic comedies that I have ever seen. While the basic storyline is incredibly creative and unique, the dialogue is also phenomenal. Will Smith delivers his bold flirtatious lines flawlessly which makes his character both likable and believable. Kevin James does the exact same thing, but for the completely opposite character. His awkward stuttering and physical demeanor make his character quite lovable.

          However, I must say that the story was a bit cliche in the classic romantic comedy way.  Two single people meet, become a couple, have a terrible break-up where the girl won’t listen to the guy’s perspective, than she finally listens, they get back together and live happily ever after. Sorry if I just ruined the movie for you, but its expected from any Rom-Com. That being said, Hitch did is in a unique way which made the story more interesting than most.  

          One of the key factors to enjoying a movie is having realistic expectations.  For Hitch, I wasn’t expecting an Academy Award winning performance, I wanting to be entertained with a creative flow of comedy and romance. In this sense, Hitch did a wonderful job and on my “Favorite Romantic Comedy” list.

Notting Hill

          Being a person who was born in the 90’s, I was surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed Notting Hill. Unlike movies such as Hitch, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and (500) Days of Summer, Notting Hill felt like a pure romance movie instead of a blockbuster, teenage, romantic comedy; not that I have anything against romantic comedies. That being said, Notting Hill successfully delivered its heart-wrenching drama like most romance films. The reason for this is because the film was aimed at an older, more mature audience who would enjoy “classic” films such as Sleepless in Seattle, What Women Want, and When Harry Met Sally. 

          Along with the film in general, the writing was superb. The writer, Richard Curtis, has written other successful films like War Horse, Pirate Radio (The Boat that Rocked), and Four Weddings and A Funeral.  Because of Hugh Grant, Rhys Ifans, and Julia Roberts, the dialogue was a perfect mix between British and American Humor.

          Because of its immense popularity, I feel like I should mention the classic line said by Julia Roberts to Hugh Grant.  After Grant rejects her relationship proposal, she says, “After all... I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” While this quote is spectacularly written, it would be nothing without the stellar acting of Julia Roberts.  Her character, Anna Scott, becomes completely vulnerable to pursue the man she loves and still gets rejected. The reason I love this quote so much is because of her face as she is delivering the line. On the verge of tears, she produces an awkward smile, in order to respect his decision and to keep looking classy. This scene is absolutely heart breaking but it makes the ending even more satisfying.