Megamind
To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.
Matho
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
Philippa
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Amy Adler
Duane Hopwood (David Schwimmer) is distraught over his recent divorce and turns to the bottle for comfort. It is probable that his drinking problem contributed to his split from his wife, Linda (Janeane Garofalo). He maintains his job in an Atlantic City casino but, after hours, he is acting irresponsibly. One night, he is pulled over by a police officer, on suspicion of driving under the influence. It is all too apparent that Duane is, indeed, drunk, but complicating the matter is the fact that he has one of his young daughters in the back seat. Linda is fit to be tied and wants the court to decide if Duane's contact with the girls should be severed. This drives Duane into a further depression, for he is a good father when he is sober. Then, too, Linda has a new man in her life and Duane is upset over that, also, for he still loves his former wife dearly. How can Duane keep himself together? This is a touching film about alcoholism and its deep impact on those in its grasp. As Duane, Schwimmer gives an outstanding, heartfelt performance that clearly shows that a man under the influence can stand to lose it all, even though he is not a "bad" human being. A blonde and glamorized Garofalo, too, gives a strong turn as a woman who has reached the end of her patience with a topsy-turvy home situation. The rest of the cast is quite fine as well, including the two lovely little girls. As for the settings, costumes, and photography, they perfectly realize the Jersey shore and its mixed bag of poverty and affluence. In truth, Duane's descent into misery seems a bit harsh, as he demonstrates time and again that he is a good dad and that his DUI was his first criminal offense. Yet, where children are involved, their ultimate protection is the main determining factor, of course. In this light, Hopwood is a potent cautionary tale for those who like their drink a bit too much, for it can ruin lives. Yet, the film is not without hope and could serve as an inspiration for those who are in the grip of any addiction. All viewers who like Schwimmer, too, will find this a good watch, as his performance is very, very strong.
GrigoryGirl
While I watched this film, it was schizophernic. There were some good dramatic moments, balanced with ridiculously cute montages, badly written supporting characters, and inane dialogue. David Schwimmer is pretty good as the title character. I never watched Friends on a regular basis, so I don't think of Ross like other people might when they see him. He's not a total disaster in this dramatic role, but he doesn't give an Oscar worthy performance. The character of Duane's ex-wife (nicely played by Janeane Garofalo, who does the best she can with her underwritten role) is a good example of what's wrong with the film. At the beginning, she is adamant about her anger and her decision to divorce him. At the end of the film, she's forgiving of him, and they part friends, despite the fact that she is moving to South Carolina with their kids and her new boyfriend. That type of logic plays more like a sitcom than it does a film that supposed to be a realistic depiction of alcoholism. The filmmakers never really give us a clear reason as to why Duane started drinking. He's still in love with his (now) ex-wife, he loves his kids, and he likes his job. Duane mentions his parents with affection, so he wasn't abused as a child. But he drinks nevertheless. There is also awkward comic relief (provided by Duane's roommate, played by Judah Friedlander, an aspiring standup comic) that really illustrates the two faces of this film. Duane's relationship with a sympathetic bartender seems tacked on. There is an excellent scene where Duane has a breakdown in a casino, but it's nearly ruined by the standup comic's constant yammering throughout it. Overall, it's watchable, but it's not sure what kind of film it really wants to be...
counterfeit_vocalist
Excellent movie. The cast is perfect, great length, plot, point, etc. I can't say enough great things about it. The best you'll ever feel watching a dark movie. Yeah, it's a feel good, dark movie. But not so much a comedy. And David Schwimmer is great. Don't worry about watching a "Ross" movie, cause this definitely isn't it. If you've seen it, you probably know what I'm talking about, if not, you don't know what you're missing. Sorry to sound so extreme on the descriptive words, as I generally try to avoid those reviews as being "extreme." But this is worthy of the praise. I've tried to get friends of mine to watch it, but they usually just dismiss it as another "Ross Geller" movie, which it is not.
allgodschillun
There is a certain freedom when you lose everything you ever cared about in life. It sounds insane, I know. But it simplifies the process of life. It means you can start from scratch... A clean slate if you will."Duane Hopwood" (David Schwimmer) first loses his sobriety, then his wife and two daughters, then his job, then his hope and comes dangerously close to losing his will to live. At the custody hearing, he tells the judge that he "needs a reason to stay".The only thing Duane doesn't lose is the unconditional love of his daughters and the loyalty of a very quirky group of friends.What is so skillful about this film is the way in which it balances our sympathy for Duane's tragic situation with our understanding that Duane is the cause of his own problems and the only one who can remedy them.The pivot, around which the film's emotional power revolves, is the quite magnificent transformation of David Schwimmer from the almost unshakable familiarity of his role as Ross on NBC's 'Friends' to this ever so sad and bedraggled ex-husband and father who is desperate to stop the sand slipping through his fingers. This is absolutely a career transforming role that, surprisingly to me, certifies that he has a very promising film career as a dramatic actor in front of him. If enough people see this film, he will be reaping the rewards with great parts for years to come.Janeane Garofalo also delivers in an atypical role. As Duane's estranged wife, she delicately balances the cold-hearted reality of wanting to move on with her life and the sympathetic understanding of someone who knows him better than anyone else. Her role could so easily have drifted into cynical and clichéd 'mean ex-wife' territory... but this film is too smart to go down that path.There are some truly fine performances from the supporting cast members. Judah Friedlander & Susan Lynch are both very good as Duane's new support system. Friedlander plays Anthony, an aspiring comedian who becomes Duane's roommate. Lynch is Duane's first girlfriend since getting divorced. Each of them change the pace of the film nicely and add depth and nuance to an already powerful story.I also want to point out the girls who play Duane's kids. So often I complain that bad performances from kids can ruin the believability of a film... However, Ramya Pratt & Rachel Covey are both splendid here.This film feels like a cross between "The Family Man" and "Leaving Las Vegas"... an odd combination indeed. But it works on so many levels. I laughed during this film. I shed tears in the final act. I cared about each and every character. It is a tremendously well written screenplay, and it is acted with precision.This is a small independent feature that really deserves a wide audience. Unfortunately, it will have trouble finding one because it doesn't have a huge publicity campaign behind it or 75 copies lining the shelves of DVD stores. I can only hope that word of mouth and positive reviews like mine will convince a few people to seek this film out. If they do, they will find a diamond in the rough and will be telling all their friends about it too
