Sunday, August 15, 2010

Julia Roberts vs. The World

"Do you know this one girl with hair like this?"
-Scott Pilgrim


"Who MEEEEEEE?!?"
-Julia


Eat Pray Love and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World are almost kinda the same movie. Or at least thematically kin. No really. Though I'd grade them differently: B- and B+ respectively at least immediately after viewing.


I'd love to hear what you thought of both or either. You starring in Read Share Like
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18 comments:

paco. said...

Haven't seen Eat, Pray, Love but I really want to because of Julia mostly.

LOVED Scott Pilgrim but I'm not surprised at all that it's making so little money, it's definitely not for everyone.

Jordan Ruimy said...

You can say that again Paco !
Scott Pilgrim isn't for everyone. I personally liked it. it's one of the more visually stunning and inventive movies of the year & even if i felt it didnt have enough emotion, that final scene is kinda touching.

Scott said...

I don't quite follow this Scott Pilgrim isn't for everyone meme. The direction is fantastic, the writing is sharp, and the message (if you grow up and mature you'll both be happier and have a better chance at the relationships you want) would seem to appeal to lots and lots of people. Plus it's fresh and in an age that's visuals-centric it looks great. The limits of a possible audience argument only make sense to me to the extent that I think it was poorly marketed as little more than "the funnest comic book adaptation of the summer!"

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Saw Eat Pray Love yesterday and if Richard Jenkins is not nominated for Best Supporting Actor I may have to throw my TV out of a second story window.

Also a standout was Javier Bardem who, after winning Best Actor at Cannes this year, should be gaining serious awards momentum right about...

Michael said...

Scott Pilgrim was a lot better than I expected. I'd probably go for B+/A-. When will Anna Kendrick and Keiran Culkin get their own movie?

Eat Pray Love was alright. I mean, it's hard to show somebody praying on a movie screen. It's better in the book. Probably a B/B-. Julia's fun as always.

gabrieloak said...

Anyone deserves a reward for sitting through another Julia Roberts movie.

Jeff said...

how was roberts Nathaniel? you have never been big on her.

Unknown said...

Couldn't get too much into Eat Pray Love. It didn't have the charm that the memoir did (or, rather, what I've actually read of the memoir). Roberts was great as usual, but the pacing was something of a disaster.

I LOVED Scott Pilgrim, but I echo the idea that it certainly isn't a movie for everyone. At this point, I want the film to get an Ensemble nod at SAG, but I know that it won't happen :(

Anonymous said...

My feeling for these two films are completely the opposite.

I thought Roberts was fantastic in EPL even though the film was mediocre. I loved Scott Pilgrim as a whole but consider Michael Cera the weakest link.

joy

MRRIPLEY said...

Seems julia can still open a film after all she really is the biggest grossong female in history - is she legendary yet,she has the roles,the 1 that made her a star and the 1 what won her an oscar.

OtherRobert said...

I'd have liked Scott Pilgrim more if the first 30 or so minutes before the battles started wasn't so repetitive. Cut that opening reel in half and the whole film would have been better for it.

What I liked the most about the film was how it was almost a musical. The songs playing in the background (or foreground, depending on the battle) were a perfect reflection of the character's emotional state at the time of the conflict. It was interesting to see something that out of pace with a comic book/action film used to such great effect.

Roark said...

I enjoyed Scott Pilgrim, but honestly the super fast pacing wore me out by the end, and because everything went by in such a blur I felt like the emotional arc of the film never really popped the way I thought it would. I felt like I was watching a lot of people saying they were in love, but never felt any actual emotion in any of the scenes. So it's a dazzlingly well directed, frequently hilarious, but ultimately superficial film - for me anyway.

Andrew R. said...

You gave Eat Pray Love a higher grade than Scott Pilgrim? Or was that a typo?

Volvagia said...

No, he said "respectively" meaning the first listed gets a B- and the second gets a B+. And, even though it's not a traditional movie, I think it's sad that "12 Action Stars Get Together for No Real Point"...sorry, I mean The Expendables, outgrossed Eat Pray Love and Scott Pilgrim. Yes, Scott Pilgrim winning would be the preferable result, but not even 3rd place? I think this has 3 factors: 1. The movie was way too caffeinated and focused on literalising what the old folks view is trash, so many families, especially those with close connections with grandmas and/or grandpas, would be vetoing it for a potential family movie day. 2. It had only "up and comers", not the established cast of The Stupid Generic Competiton...sorry, The Expendables and 3. People don't want to see Michael Cera in this general kind of role again. I think the perception is that he should have had a Midnight Cowboy by now. He hasn't, and many don't want to pay money to see him do this again.

Volvagia said...

Not myself of course, but I could see that reaction from many.

No Bad Movies said...

I may be in the minority here, and if I offend anyone I apologize, but I just don't find Michael Cera anything special to write home about. Only because I think he falls in that group ( and believe me, there's a lot these days ) of actors that just are the same person in every film they are in. They don't bother to look different, change up, adopt a different voice or look, hairstyle, and that same dear in the headlights look Cera always is looking like. It's predictable. I don't think he's bad per se, but a leading man in Hollywood motion pictures ? I find him dry and boring. I know I don't have to go on at what makes a great actor. But I'm not surprised he's getting leading man roles because these days Hollywood will attempt to let anyone try and carry a film.
That's just me, I could name 10 actors under 30 who I feel have " it " more than Cera.

SoSueMe said...

@BadMoFo
Totally agree...Richard Jenkins should get his second nomination for EPL...that monologue was powerful. And Billy Crudup gets an A for the divorce proceedings scene.
I have to say, and I will say, this is Julia's best work...I can see an Oscar nom in her future.
The film as a whole was well done...the music was beautiful and the overall tone was quite romantic (particularly the Italy segment). The pacing didn't bother me as much as it did in Running with Scissors.