I was the lucky recipient of a free copy of The Bucket List recently, courtesy of The Film Guide. Now, this is where it's beneficial for movies to be cheap or free sometimes. Because when the film came out a while ago, there was no way I was interested in sitting through a story about 2 old guys getting their last hurrahs in before the died of cancer. It's not because I thought it would be depressing; I just thought that plot-line sounded a little old, and I've never been a fan of Jack Nicholson. So I thought we may as well watch it before I put it up for auction on TradeMe.
But actually, it was pretty enjoyable. Nicholson and Morgan Freeman managed to make their characters admirably un-boring. Quirky even, though not in a cute Hollywood sort of way. Not even in a Hollywood rascally kind of way. Probably the only negative comment I can make is that Freeman's character, a mechanic who's worked for the last 40 years to support his wife and 2 kids, can afford the massive house they live in - and that his wife looks like a more mature version of Mrs Huxtable than yer average middle-aged housewife. It's just a bit too middle-class-ideal.
But back to the positive. The characters were likeable, the ending poignant but not too sugary, and it wasn't too long. And the boy liked it too - really liked it, loved it even. Possibly even more that he liked Gladiator, and that's saying something.
So yeah, pretty good for a mainstream movie. I reckon we'll be keeping this one.
10 comments:
I've never really liked Nicholson either.
Maybe a bit in Reds.
But I can sadly inform you that the house thing is plausible.
Part of why we're in such deep trouble now is that we started buying houses we had no hope of being able to afford.
We started living the dream like there was no waking up.
Interesting you should say that cause i think I would have been of the same view as you prior to watching... I got free tickets to the Notebook once (and figured cause it was free...). Anyway my friend and I ended up totally enjoying it and bawling our eyes out. So I figure a free movie is always a good movie.
I enjoyed that one too.
Have you seen bruice almighty? If you have you will understand that while watching I was thinking -
There is God and there is the devil
Glad you enjoyed the movie Violet. Can I please re-post what you wrote on FilmGuide?
nigel: what you say might be true, but in this case I would tend to think it's just one of those Hollywood things.
donnasoowho: Notebook is definitely one of those movies I wouldn't pay to see. Though I'm not sure if I'd go and see it even if I got free tickets!
angela: no I havent. Would you say it was good, despite Jim Carrey being it?
jonathan: yeah sure you can. Though it's not the most intellectually informative of reviews...
I used to like Jack Nicholson but at some point I just started despising him. I'll have to figure out which movie was the cut off.
I've actually heard good things about that Bucket List movie but I just cannot bring myself to watch it. I think I hate the word 'Bucket'...?
Though it's not the most intellectually informative of reviews...
It'll fit well next to my reviews then... ;_)
glomgold: I think I know what you mean. Some titles or storylines are just off-putting eh? But I did really like Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. It's probably the only one of his movies I willingly watched and enjoyed. Until Bucket List, that is.
jonathon: you're selling yourself short, mate.
I LOVE the word Bucket! It sounds frisky.
I have always struggled watching films with Jack Nicholson in them because I HATE Jack Nicholson (I hate all seemingly arrogant wankers) and yet I love watching him onscreen... dammit.
I liked The Bucket List (husband won a copy from ZM), purely of the interaction between Nicholson & Freeman. And I like things that thumb a nose at cancer... I like being irreverent about cancer. And because I love Morgan Freeman.
ali-belly: bucket? Frisky? At best, it's a harmless substitute for fucket, I suppose. But it's interesting that you can't stand Jack Nicholson either. Two others I have an inherent disapproval of are Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie, for different reasons. Morgan Freeman is very likeable though, and it's refreshing to see a movie about death, that ends up being about life.
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