Hey folks, Harry here. Every now and again a review slips past me... this was one that I didn't entirely trust way back on August 11th when it crossed my desk... However, I just saw the trailer for THE FAMILY MAN (which you can download by clicking on that) and when I saw the trailer... I got a few goosebumps... There is a kernal of a great story there... and even though I personally loathe Tea Leoni for her existing work to date... I have to give props to Ratner... it looks like he might've directed her to her first really good work... Which is fine by me... I loathe loathing. But this film... if it is done as right as our man below says... Well, it might very well worm its way into our hearts. Check out that trailer and read this review... I know the film is seriously on my radar now. BEWARE OF SPOILERS...
Hey Harry,
Caught a screening of Family Man with Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni last night. And I have to say I wasn't expecting much from Miss Fox Moulder or this stereotypical holiday feel-good movie. But ho-lee-sheeyite Tea Leoni is one hell of an actress and a stone fox in this film -- making me think that maybe Jurassic Park 3 won't be such a total wank.
The movie is a bit like Sliding Doors meets It's a Wonderful Life but unlike the former the script is great and unlike the latter this takes place in New Jersey. Story goes something like this-- Boy loves girl, boy leaves girl behind at the airport, boy goes on to become a hugely successful bank president with hotties knocking on his door for dates and more cash than he knows what to do with and forgets all about girl--imagine that?
13 years later on Christmas Eve, boy meets a guy who offers him a glimpse of what his life would have been like had he stayed with the girl.
Nicholas Cage gives another amazing (could be award-winning - what the fuck do I know?) performance in this film. He's got a bunch of hilarious, classic-Cage one-liners and does a totally convincing job of playing a man caught between two different worlds.
Don Cheadle, the ghost of Christmas past type character, is the scene stealer in this film and I found myself wishing we had seen a bit more of him.
Jeremy Piven is, as always, also great as Cage's best blue collar buddy and he too is robbed of screen time. I was hoping for a totally unpredictable ending which isn't necessarily the case but alas it is a holiday movie and you don't want to send people home singing the blues. But the movie totally works because every performance is nailed and the story has kind of a new take on a pretty familiar theme. I mean how many times can we see someone come to the realization "Oh my, I've been wrong all this time! I must find my old love! I must give to the needy! I must solve world hunger!"??? But this makes the Ferarri and the bank-president life still look really good at the end -- the story just says that it ain't complete without love (awwww).
On a personal note, this movie did make me think about the choices I've made in life: why am I not an insanely rich banker having a string of meaningless one night stands with beautiful women? why did I dump Kristine Belford in the 3rd grade -- she was hot!? why did I eat a burrito shortly before the screening? The point is that, if I can get a date around Christmas (maybe Kristine's free), there's gonna be a great movie to see...
- Daddyeo
