Film Review: Take Me Home Tonight

Take Me Home Tonight is a loving homage to eighties teen films. It may not be the smartest or funniest films of the year so far, but it is definitely one of the cutest.

It’s the late 1980s and MIT graduate Matt Franklin is having a life crisis, having given up a well-paid job to work in a video store. When he finds out his high school crush Tori is back in town and attending a Labor Day party that evening. Along with his twin sister Wendy and his recently-fired best friend Barry, Matt attends the party hoping to win the affections of the girl of his dreams…

Take Me Home Tonight is an unpretentious movie that keeps its intentions simple. The movie should be funnier given that it is a comedy. Whilst there is humour to be found, some of the jokes do fall flat. Nevertheless, Take Me Home Tonight works because the central character is lovable and the romantic angle is well executed.

Matt Franklin is given surprising depth, considering the superficial nature of the film. The protagonist is endearing, yet at times frustrating. Matt’s lack of confidence is underscored throughout the movie; some of his exchanges with Tori are truly cringeworthy. Due to this shyness, the film provides the audience with a hero they can really root for. There is a genuine hope that the flawed but affable Matt will get the girl.

Take Me Home Tonight was made a few years ago; it is surprising that it took so long to get released. Perhaps the film was buoyed by the success of last year’s Hot Tub Time Machine, which offered a similar style of 80s nostalgia. Although there are fewer in-jokes, Take Me Home Tonight is an unapologetic homage to teen movies of this decade. The importance of the one social event harks back to films such as Pretty in Pink and Say Anything. The action takes place over the course of a day, reminiscent of others from the John Hughes oeuvre that feature a similarly short time frame, Some Kind of Wonderful and The Breakfast Club for example.

Topher Grace really carries the film with his very genuine portrayal as Matt. Elsewhere, Dan Fogler is makes a fun comedy sidekick as Barry, while Teresa Palmer fulfils her limited brief well as beauty Tori. Anna Faris is slightly less convincing as Cambridge hopeful Wendy.

With its fantastic (and seemingly non-stop) soundtrack of eighties tunes, Take Me Home Tonight is a film for those who revel in nostalgia. It’s almost a film that wonders what has happened to all those John Hughes characters after high school. Not an amazing film, nonetheless Take Me Home Tonight should serve its audience well.

Film Review: Due Date

Due Date has been heavily advertised as ‘from the director of The Hangover’, hoping to capitalise on the success of Todd Phillips 2009 film. Sadly, Due Date does not rise to the same plane as Phillips’ earlier film, although it desperately tries to.

After he is put on a no-fly list, Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with Ethan Tremblay, the guy responsible for his troubles, in order to get back to Los Angeles in time for the birth of his first child. Although the pair have days to get there, it is a tumultuous journey…

Due Date borrows heavily from the 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Due Date takes the premise of John Hughes’ film (two mis-matched companions having to make a long journey in order to make it home for an event) and tweaks only minor elements. Anyone who has seen the 1987 film will recognise the similarities from the very off.

Originality aside, the crucial mistake made by the film is to try and inject too many emotional or more serious moments. The humour in Due Date is sometimes crude but ultimately funny. Yet the filmmakers decided to feature more poignant scenes that just do not gel with this type of comedy. The result is a film that is amusing for the most part, but one that is interrupted by a story that thinks it is necessary to give an emotional layer to its characters. The combination of drama and comedy can work together incredibly well, but Due Date‘s reluctance to play down the emotion may irritate some viewers.

Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis have great chemistry, and are well cast as the odd couple. Downey Jr. does highly strung very well, which is in complete contrast to Galifianakis’ relaxed but annoying Ethan. Juliette Lewis is fun as ever in a minor role.

Phillips direction is good, keeping an appropriate pace and capturing some amusing visual gags, a number of which feature Ethan’s dog. Influence from The Hangover is clear in the soundtrack and the pop culture references.

Due Date is entertaining enough, but its flaws are inescapable. Hopefully the sequel to The Hangover will see a return to form for Phillips.

Film Review: Easy A

Easy A is a witty film that both replicates and parodies teen movie conventions. Although it does not reach the higher echelons of the likes of Mean Girls, it is fun and inventive nevertheless.

When Olive is overheard telling her friend Rhiannon about losing her virginity, the rumour spreads around high school like wildfire. Although the story isn’t true, Olive begins to enjoy the notoriety of being the school slut. Olive’s life, however, begins to resemble that of Hester Prynne’s in The Scarlet Letter, the book she is studying at school…

Stripped back to its narrative basics, Easy A trends a familiar path in teen movie terrain. While it is concerned with social standing and romance like most other films in the genre, Easy A turns convention on its head somewhat by having a female protagonist who actively encourages rumours about her promiscuity. Rather than shy away or be mortified at the gossip, Olive uses it to her advantage, benefiting financially and in social standing.

Easy A is very witty, but not laugh-out-loud hilarious. The film elevates itself above many of its peers by overtly referencing the 1980s teen films (and John Hughes in particular) that clearly have influenced writer Bert V. Royal. Thus, Easy A does not just feature elements of 1980s teen films, but also actively make reference to them. Most evident of these is Say Anything, which is paid a delightful homage by Easy A.

Olive is an amiable protagonist who uses her wit to deflect the hostility of her classmates. It is clear from the interactions with her family that she is a smart and well-balanced girl, which makes her easy to relate to. Elsewhere, Easy A features some teen movie stereotypes like the holier-than-thou Marianne, as well as characters that defy the archetypes, such as teacher Mrs Griffith.

Emma Stone is incredibly likeable as Olive, and proves she has the talent to headline a film. Stanley Tucci gives an amusing turn as her unconventional father. Amanda Bynes seems aptly cast as mean girl Marianne, while Penn Badgley remains untested as Todd, a character very similar to the role he plays on Gossip Girl.

Production values are good, with Olive’s webcam narration appearing entirely appropriate given the context. Director Will Gluck shows a flair for the teen film; offering the audience what they expect, with a little innovation and plenty of one-liners.

Easy A may not be raucously funny, but it is a cut above many other teen films of the last decade. Highly recommended for fans of this genre.