Hey folks, Harry here... and like Jazzman, I've seen JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK and I've seen MADE.... We're lucky bastards to say the least. Both movies are about a pair of goombas on a cross country jaunt to do that which they have no clue about. And of the two.... MADE is the best, though both are IMMENSELY entertaining. In the end, MADE has more soul and pathos.... with just as many fall down funny moments (though none of the easy humor). MADE is opening this weekend in New York and Los Angeles.... Get your ass out there and see it! This is a real real real good movie.... SEE IT NOW! It opens elsewhere this coming week, and depending on success... it'll expand or play out there. HELP IT EXPAND!
JAZZMAN here...
Moriarty, thanks for printing my JAY AND SILENT BOB review. Look forward to
reading your review of the film. And thanks for the ONE HOUR PHOTO peaks,
but I'm going to have to stop reading anything about it so I can go in
fresh.
Here's my look at MADE, and to be honest I laughed harder than Jay and
Silent Bob. Hope this one does well, it deserves it.
MADE is the kind of movie that doesn't get "made" enough. A damn good one.
Let me be the first to say that I have always been a big SWINGERS fan, so my
admiration for Jon Favreau's writing style and his and Vince Vaughn's
chemistry together was already in place. And this film did nothing to
change that. Sure Jon and Vince have done many other crappy studio movies
since SWINGERS hit, but all is easily forgiven after seeing MADE.
The plot is a basic one. Two down on their luck nothing guys try to make
something of their lives by doing a "job" for some gangster types that
involves some type of "drop." Favreau is the quiet good guy who loves his
stripper girlfriend and her daughter and Vaughn is the flashy loud mouth
annoying guy who always has to get his opinions in. And does he. Saying
anything else about the plot would spoil the fun of watching the many twists
and turns play out. This may be a conventional story, but the way it gets
from A to B is more than refreshing. And absolutely hilarious.
Performances are top notch all around. Starting from the top with Favreau
doing a great restrained and impassioned job as a character who is just
trying to do the right thing. Of course that is hard to do when you have a
loudmouth for a friend like Vince Vaughn's character. Vaughn here steals
every, and I mean EVERY scene he is in. And he is in almost every scene.
He is annoying. He is mean. He is rude. He makes you cringe throughout
the film. But you are also laughing the whole time do you don't mind.
Puffy (Sean) Combs has a small role and has a quietly engaging performance.
Peter Falk is also great in his small role. His first scene with Vaughn and
Favreau is classic. But the real surprise to me, and one that is not
getting enough notice, is the performance by the actor Faizon Love, who is
the big guy from THE REPLACEMENTS and is funny and delightful as another
wannabe gangster.
Now to the obvious question. Is this Swingers 2? Yes... and no. It has
many scenes that will remind you of Swingers, including one on a plane that
had me gagging. It is also filmed in sort of the same loose, jazzy,
handheld manner. The characters are also similar. But this is a much
darker, and, dare I say, meaningful work than Swingers. Swingers is a truly
fun movie, but here the safety net of fun is gone, and while we may laugh at
these characters actions, we also truly fear for the consequences of said
actions. The film also has a pretty darkish ending that I thought worked
great. but even with the harsh ending, it still ends on a laugh.
The camera work by Christopher Doyles is right on the money, and New York
looks great throughout the film.
Overall, this is a fine piece of cinema that will have you laughing the
whole way, but also have you concerned with the direction of the characters.
As long as Favreau and Vaughn continue to reunite for films like this,
they can make all the DEEP IMPACT's they want. I have to pay to see this
film again because I missed so many jokes laughing so hard.
The Jazzman Is Done
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