ScreenCrave.com » Jennifer Aniston

Wanderlust: Movie Review

Laura Aguirre — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:50:50 +0000

In his latest, David Wain attempts to make a whole comedy about the dwindling lives of a middle-class couple living in a hippie-infested commune called Elysium. Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston play the leading couple, and share the screen with a talented supporting cast of comedic actors like Joe Lo Truglio (the naked one), Lauren Ambrose, Jordan Peele, and the awesome Alan Alda. Check out our full review below…

It’ll be wrong not to mention Martha Marcy May Marlene, the dark film that caused a whirlwind at Sundance last year with its topic of commune living; that said, Wanderlust, unlike Martha Marcy May Marlene, doesn’t challenge its audience with questions about existentialism as, after all, it is a comedy, complete with running gags and not-so-meaningful conversations.

The Players:

Director: David Wain
Writer: David Wain, Ken Marino
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd, Malin Akerman, Justin Theroux,
Cinematography: Michael Bonvillain

The Plot:

Linda (Jennifer Aniston) and George (Paul Rudd) are a young married couple living in Manhattan. After their lives come crumbling down, George decides to take his wife to his brother Rick’s (Ken Marino) house in Atlanta. During their road-trip, Linda and George pull into a bed and breakfast that turns out to be a commune run by a peculiar, mature hippie named Kathy (Karri Kenney) and a mysterious guru named Seth (Justin Theroux) . After spending a wild night at the commune, Linda and George resume their journey to Atlanta, but when their plan B also falls through, the two return to the commune and attempt to live as free spirits.

The Good:

An Uncomfortable, Yet Hilarious Pep Talk: The best part in the entire movie, hands down, is an R-rated pep talk George gives to himself in the bathroom mirror. It’s ridiculous, uncomfortable, and hilarious. So hilarious. The movie would be worth watching all over again if just for that moment. This is one of Rudd’s best moments.
Supporting Cast: Elysium is filled with colorful personalities played by talented comedic actors. Kathryn Hahn shines as Karen, an annoyed feminist who gives George a very hard time when he accidentally kills a mosquito. Then there’s Ken Marino, who co-wrote the film with Wain. He plays George’s inappropriate brother, and scores big laughs. There’s also the paunchy, wine-making nudist Rick played by Joe Lo Truglio, and the pretentious, Christ-like commune leader Seth played by Jason Theroux. All of these different actors, and more, lend themselves to funny jokes, and each shines, even if just for a brief moment.
Paul and Jen: Aside from the hilarious mirror scene, Rudd plays it straight. His character is the sane one in a movie filled with insane personalities. Rudd still has the charm that makes him a successful leading man. Aniston is also charming and likeable. One of her best moments is when she’s on hallucinogenics and believes she can fly. Still, she stays in her comfort zone, and that’s okay, because that’s what we expect from her. She’s not one to take many risks.

The Bad:

Running Gags: The bad thing about the running gags in Wanderlust is that they weren’t funny to begin with. There’s nothing funny about calling a pint-size apartment ‘a studio’ or ‘a micro-loft’. Call it what you want! We can see that it’s tiny. Then there’s the ‘no privacy’ thing, which was funny at times, but mostly just made for uncomfortable and obvious situations.
Pointless Plot: Although the story centers around an ordinary couple struggling to make ends meet, the film scarcely shows them trying to get back on their feet. Instead, George quits the job his brother offers him almost immediately, and the two escape to a free spirit environment with no doors and no privacy. George and Linda’s financial crisis is a segue to the plot of the story, which begins about 25 minutes into the movie when they arrive at Elysium. At the commune, George and Linda struggle to fit in, but in the end, their experiences make them appreciate a different way of living, and each other. But of course, no Hollywood comedy is complete without a happy ending. Everything works out for George and Linda, even when they weren’t even trying to get back on their feet.

Overall:

There are moments that will make you laugh-out-loud, but overall, Wanderlust is one big, dumb joke.

Rating: 5.5/10

Wanderlust opens February 24, 2012.

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Will you watch Wanderlust?

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston in Wanderlust Trailer

Damon Houx — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:22:06 +0000

In the trailer for Wanderlust, Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston play a couple dealing with very real world problems. He gets laid off and the duo end up at a commune. As directed by David Wain (who also did Role Models and cult favorite Wet Hot American Summer), the film looks to offers laughs and lots of small roles from Wain’s old comedy troupe The State. Check out the trailer…

In trailer you can spot State-vets Ken Marino, Kerri Kinney, and Joe Lo Truglio, along with Alan Alda, Justin Theroux and Malin Akerman. Most of these people seem to be a part of the same universe, and often show up in each other’s movies, so that’s not really a surprise – though it’s interesting to see that Akerman has landed in comedy after Watchmen did little for her (or anyone’s) career.

The film comes out February 24, 2012, which never means much when it comes to comedy – they can play at any point in the year – and if it delivers as much as the trailer, it should be a nice small comedy success for the group. Wain’s career as a director didn’t really take off until Role Models proved he could work in the mainstream, so it was a long road after 2001′s Wet Hot American Summer, which is one of the funniest films of the last ten years, though was barely released in theaters.

Does Elvis Costello music make every trailer better?

Demi Moore To Direct Breast Cancer Film; Set To Star With Miley Cyrus In ‘LOL’

Travis Woods — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:36:50 +0000

Perhaps it’s just a side-effect of being married to a hyperactive 12-year old, but Demi Moore has a busy slate ahead of her—she’s set to direct a “short breast cancer awareness movie” entitled Project Five, as well as star with—sweet, sweet Jesus—Miley Cyrus in LOL, a comedy “about high school romance and friendship in the world of social networking,” according to Contact Music.

Moore is teaming up with Alicia Keys and Jennifer Aniston who are all directing short films “exploring the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives” for Project Five, which “will be an anthology of short films, each one directed by a different celebrity.” Patty Jenkins is also helming a film, and an as-yet unnamed director will take the fifth and final short film.

Jennifer Aniston is set to produce, and Project Five will air on the Lifetime Network. Moore worked on a similar short film anthology project, If These Walls Could Talk, which aired on HBO in 1996, and centered on the subject of abortion.

Perhaps Project Five is some kind of karmic pay-off or balance for starring in LOL with Miley Cyrus, in an effort to pay off for her horrible, horrible deeds—namely, starring in a film called LOL with Miley Cyrus.

What do you think of the Moore news?

Jennifer Aniston Joins Zach Galifianakis and Tila Tequila Between Two Ferns

Krystal Clark — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:13:54 +0000

Jennifer Aniston is hard at work promoting her new comedy Just Go With It. She recently visited the set of Funny or Die’s “Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis,” and a surprising second guest — Tila Tequila. We weren’t aware that the two women had that much in common but they shared a chair and some serious awkwardness during the appearance. Check it out…

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Tila Tequila from Between Two Ferns

“Between Two Ferns” is known for its long pauses, awkward conversation, and simplistic setting but this episode is beyond strange. Who thought it was a good idea to partner these two women for an interview? Aniston actually plays second fiddle to Tequila, which is weird considering she has a movie coming out and Tequila has…..whatever it is that she has.

We’ve seen better versions of this skit. We see what they were going for but it just doesn’t work for us. If we had to decide Funny or Die on this one, it deserves the latter. It needs to go down in a virtual ball of flames!

On a lighter note, Just Go With It opens in theaters on February 11.

What do you think of Aniston and Tequila on Between Two Ferns? Was it funny or should it die?

Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Natalie Portman Make Fandango’s 2011 Hot List

Krystal Clark — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 23:42:44 +0000

It’s time to look forward to what good things 2011 will have to offer. While a lot of film publications and websites are focusing on the brightest and the best in film performances, direction, and scripts Fandango has decided to lighten up a bit. They’ve posted their annual “Hot List,” which consists of the honors we really care about like, who’ll be the biggest American movie star in 2011 or who are the sexiest women and men of the new year? Find out who topped the lists below…

THE SEXIEST WOMAN IN 2011 MOVIES: MEN’S PICKS
1.            Natalie Portman (Thor) 10%
2.            Angelina Jolie (Kung Fu Panda 2) 8%
3.            Halle Berry (Dark Tide) 7%
4.            Penelope Cruz (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) 6%
5.            Emma Watson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1) 6%
6.            Megan Fox (Passion Play) 6%
7.            Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes 2) 5%
8.            Mila Kunis (Friends with Benefits) 5%
9.            Jessica Biel (New Year’s Eve) 4%
10.          Olivia Wilde (Cowboys & Aliens) 3%

THE SEXIEST WOMAN IN 2011 MOVIES: WOMEN’S PICKS
1.            Penelope Cruz (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) 7%
2.            Angelina Jolie (Kung Fu Panda 2) 7%
3.            Halle Berry (Dark Tide) 7%
4.            Jennifer Aniston (Just Go With It) 6%
5.            Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes 2) 6%
6.            Natalie Portman (Thor) 6%
7.            Reese Witherspoon (Water for Elephants) 5%
8.            Kate Hudson (Something Borrowed) 5%
9.            Megan Fox (Passion Play) 4%
10.          Jessica Biel (New Year’s Eve) 4%

THE SEXIEST MAN IN 2011 MOVIES: MEN’S PICKS
1.            Johnny Depp (Pirates 4) 10%
2.            Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern) 10%
3.            Robert Downey, Jr. (Sherlock Holmes 2) 7%
4.            Daniel Craig (Cowboys & Aliens) 5%
5.            Bradley Cooper (The Hangover 2) 5%
6.            Brad Pitt (The Tree of Life) 5%
7.            Harrison Ford (Cowboys & Aliens) 5%
8.            Matt Damon (Contagion) 4%
9.            Jake Gyllenhaal (Source Code) 4%
10.          Dwayne Johnson (Fast Five) 3%

THE SEXIEST MAN IN 2011 MOVIES: WOMEN’S PICKS
1.            Johnny Depp (Pirates 4) 13%
2.            Robert Downey, Jr. (Sherlock Holmes 2) 7%
3.            Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern) 6%
4.            Bradley Cooper (The Hangover 2) 6%
5.            Taylor Lautner (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Pt. 1) 6%
6.            Robert Pattinson (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Pt. 1) 5%
7.            Jake Gyllenhaal (Source Code) 5%
8.            Channing Tatum (The Dilemma) 4%
9.            James Franco (Your Highness) 4%
10.          Dwayne Johnson (Fast Five) 4%

THE NEXT BIG AMERICAN MOVIE STAR IN 2011: MEN’S PICKS
1.            Blake Lively (Green Lantern) 17%
2.            Tom Hardy (Tailor, Tinker, Soldier, Spy) 9%
3.            Chris Hemsworth (Thor) 7%
4.            Justin Bieber (Never Say Never) 7%
5.            Jay Chou (The Green Hornet) 6%

THE NEXT BIG AMERICAN MOVIE STAR IN 2011: WOMEN’S PICKS
1.            Blake Lively (Green Lantern) 19%
2.            Justin Bieber (Never Say Never) 12%
3.            January Jones (X-Men: First Class) 11%
4.            Lea Michele (New Year’s Eve) 6%
5.            Jay Chou (The Green Hornet) 6%

Really guys? Both women and men think that Blake Lively will be next year’s biggest star? O.K.

What do you think of their picks?

Source: Collider

Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston in Just Go With It Trailer

Krystal Clark — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:35:56 +0000

The first trailer for Adam Sandler and director Dennis Dugan’s latest film, Just Go With It has been released. We heard a little about the movie last summer while the duo was out promoting Grown Ups, but at the time very little was known about its premise. Today Yahoo Movies premiered the first trailer for the film that features Sandler surrounded by a group of attractive blonds. Take a look…

A plastic surgeon, romancing a much younger schoolteacher, enlists his loyal assistant to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up a careless lie. When more lies backfire, the assistant’s kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a weekend in Hawaii that will change all their lives. The film stars Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker, and Nicole Kidman.

We find it strange that Kidman is in this movie yet they don’t show her in this trailer. Do they think she’s still box office kryptonite or what? If so, it’s not like Aniston has been dropping jewels as of late either. The one thing that bothers us about this story is that it features a pretty woman who wears glasses and a ponytail and expects those items to make her ugly. It’s still Jennifer Aniston! Have we learned nothing from She’s All That?

Just Go With It hits theaters on February 11, 2011 just in time for Valentine’s Day.

What do you think of the trailer for Just Go With It?

Jennifer Aniston Cougar Town Appearance Was Boring

Krystal Clark — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:30:44 +0000

Last night, ABC premiered their new comedy line up that featured an all new episode of “Cougar Town.” Former “Friend” Courteney Cox stars in the series (as well as executive produces) that centers on a perky and neurotic real estate agent and her wacky group of pals that includes her drunk best friend, her emotionless boyfriend, and her hillbilly ex-husband. To kick things off this season, Jennifer Aniston made an appearance as Cox’s free-spirited therapist and unfortunately she did not deliver…

If we had to grade Aniston and Cox in this episode alone, they would get an F. For some odd reason the chemistry wasn’t there and they weren’t funny. Everyone around them were, the situations were hilarious, but their actual interactions were boring. We’re well aware that these two are besties in real life but their scenes came across as forced and unnatural.

While Cox’s character is her usual annoying self, Aniston’s therapist constantly tries to play up this serene hippy persona that doesn’t ring true. She even had a dog named Gabriel, that for the majority of the episode we thought was her human child. The whole experience just made a rather enjoyable episode flat.

What did you think of Aniston’s appearance on Cougar Town?

Watch: Jennifer Aniston Cougar Town Clip

Krystal Clark — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:49:28 +0000

Tonight is the premiere of ABC’s new comedy line up which includes “Modern Family” and the Courteney Cox led, “Cougar Town.” Over the summer the network has been hyping up the guest appearance of actress and “friend” Jennifer Aniston on the season premiere and it’s almost here. The show doesn’t air until tonight but we’ve got a sneak peek at Cox and Aniston in action in the clip below…

It doesn’t look like anything has changed between these two. This is the second time that Aniston has guest starred on one of Cox’s shows. The other stint was an appearance on the defunct dramedy “Dirt” a couple years ago. Why is it that these two always get together? Why can’t we see a reunion between her and her fake brother Ross Gellar aka David Schwimmer? We know that he’s a film director now but come on. We need some variety.

The season finale of “Cougar Town” didn’t really leave us on the edge of our seats considering that Jules relationship with Grayson was made public by the end of the episode. We wonder what trouble she’s going to get into now.

“Cougar Town” airs Wednesday night at 9:30 pm.

Will you be watching Cougar Town tonight? Are you excited about the reunion of Cox and Aniston?

Source: EOnline

Jennifer Aniston Joins Courteney Cox on Cougar Town

Krystal Clark — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:07:45 +0000

As long as the sun rises and sets, Jennifer Aniston will always find away to guest star on one of Courteney Cox’s many TV shows. The actresses and real-life best buds will reunite on the small screen (again) this fall on the ABC series, “Cougar Town.” Haven’t we seen this before with Cox’s failed drama “Dirt” that aired for two seasons on The FX network? There, Aniston made a guest appearance to stir up controversy and ratings, neither of which worked. But we don’t need that here because “Cougar Town” is actually a good show and has decent ratings to prove it. So what’s Aniston coming on board for?

Over at EW, they spoke to the show’s executive producer Bill Lawrence who spilled the beans about Aniston’s character and when her appearance will air.

She’s going to play Courteney’s shrink named Bonnie,” reveals Lawrence, referring to Cox’s character, Jules. “Kind of a get-too-involved-in-her-life-type of therapist. Those guys are so close in real life they kind of do that for each other anyway. Bonnie has the life Jules wishes she has.”

Being that Jules is a neurotic freak this sounds like hilarity waiting to happen. Could she be seeing a shrink because of her relationship with Grayson and its effect on Bobby? Maybe things didn’t go over so smoothly like we saw during last May’s finale.

Aniston will debut during the second season premiere of “Cougar Town” which is scheduled to air on September 22nd.

What do you think of Aniston and Cox reuniting again?

The Switch: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 23:00:36 +0000

This weekend the semen comedy of the year, The Switch starring the easy-going Jennifer Aniston and “baby-faced-man-boy” Jason Bateman hits theaters. It’s a bit of the twist on the usual love story it’s ultimately, just another funny enough, easy to watch, rom-com. Luckily it does have a few qualities that will make your time in the theater worthwhile (provided you have popcorn and preferably a drink or five beforehand).

Check out the good and the bad below…

The Players:

Directors: Josh Gordon and Will Speck
Writers: Allan Loeb (screenplay) and Jeffrey Eugenides (short story)
Actors: Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, Jeff Goldblum, Juliette Lewis, Patrick Wilson
Music By: Alex Wurman

The Plot:

An unmarried 40-year-old woman turns to a turkey baster in order to become pregnant. Seven years later, she reunites with her best friend, who has been living with a secret: he replaced her preferred sperm sample with his own.

The Good:

Dialogue in the Opening: A lot rom-coms take a while to get going, but the dialogue in the opening few scenes to this film is Mamet-esq. It’s fast paced, doesn’t bother to explain itself and pushes us right into the film. Sadly it doesn’t stay that way throughout, but it definitely has some good moments.
Jason Bateman and Mini-Bateman: It’s a sweet, humorous relationship. It’s got some heart and the two play off one another quite well. Bateman plays his usual character with a few extra details thrown in. He’s great (as always) with dry humor and his child counterpart seems to be as well.
Jeff Goldblum: He appears to be mocking the film from within and yet for some reason it worked. His lines were one dimensional but he was at least entertaining and made certain dull lines more interesting.

The Bad:

Predictable: Though they add in the whole “semen” twist this is definitely a pretty standard rom-com, it follows the “sure-hit” structure to a T. It has enough jokes to that make you chuckle and enough heart to make you kind of care — but there is nothing original here.
No Connection: Though they gave Bateman’s character a lot of layers and he was a solid character, there is no explanation as to why they’re together and there’s never any real chemistry between them. I guess this film is a lesson on settling?
Convenient Ending: The whole movie seems to wrap itself up in a short montage, and there’s no third act. The big second act “reveal” happens and then with one short conversation everything is settled. If it’s something that easy to solve than it’s not really a problem and then why should we care?
Lack of Change: The movie takes place over 7 years and despite a few grey streaks in Bateman’s hair (which appear to come and go) and some extensions on Aniston, they look exactly they same. Would have been nice to see a little more change over such a long period of time.

Overall:

If you’re looking for something light and fluffy this is definitely it despite Bateman’s hard edge. Overall it’s just fine, better than expected, but it is what it is.

Rating: 5.5/10

The Switch is in theaters August 20th!

Photos:

Trailer:

The Switch Clip – Jennifer Aniston’s on the Prowl

Krystal Clark — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:42:55 +0000

The first clip from Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman’s film The Switch has been released and it has us on the edge of our seats (sarcasm). The movie opens in theaters on August 20th and we were wondering when they were going to kick up the marketing for this thing. Aniston hasn’t exactly had the best of luck when it comes to romantic comedies this year. Check out this scene from the movie and tell us what you think…

As you can see Kassie (Aniston) wants to get a little help from her best friend Wally (Bateman) in the baby-making department. She’s a successful woman who wants to start a family but unfortunately time isn’t on her side. Without a steady partner in her life and no real prospects, she opts for a sperm donor as her only logical solution.

The twist on this whole scenario is Bateman’s character is secretly in love with her and somehow will mix up his “man-juice” with that of the donor’s, resulting in a is it or isn’t it his kid scenario down the line. Doesn’t that sound hilarious?! It will be like a typical episode of “Maury.”

What do you think of the first clip from The Switch? Are you interested in seeing the film?

Source: Yahoo

Jennifer Aniston Circling Horrible Bosses

Krystal Clark — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:37:30 +0000

We’re convinced that Jennifer Aniston is afraid of change because over the past few years she’s played the same character in all her films. She needs to pull a Julia Roberts and do an Erin Brockovich type role so we can be reminded that she has acting range. But until then, THR is reporting that Aniston is in talks to star in a developing comedy called Horrible Bosses.

Horrible Bosses is a Seth Gordon directed film that centers on a group of frustrated employees. Some of the characters include a master manipulator, a sexually aggressive dentist and a weaselly scion. Aniston along with Colin Farrell, Jason Bateman, and Charlie Day (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) are all in negotiations to star in the comedy. The plot kind of has a Strangers on a Train set up by focusing on three friends who agree to kill each other’s bosses.

Aniston is in talks to play the flirtatious dentist who continues to hit on Day’s character, while Farrell will play the weasel (why are we not surprised?).

Bateman is a man who believes that his hard work will be rewarded but hits bottom when he gets passed over for a promotion. Day plays a hapless guy who’s always in the wrong place at the wrong time. A part still to be cast is a ladies’ man who gets a rude awakening when his boss dies and he is replaced.

The fact that no one falls head or heels in love with anyone else in this movie is a breath of fresh air. But it still sounds like Aniston is sticking with situation comedies and refusing to show any real growth as an actress. Remember when she starred in The Good Girl and everyone felt like her career showed promise? Maybe after she bombed in the thriller Derailed she got scared and decided to stick to what she knows best. Either way, it’s getting old.

Are you interested in seeing Horrible Bosses? What do you think of the premise?

ScreenCrave.com » Jennifer Aniston

Wanderlust: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 5.5/10

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Related Posts

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston in Wanderlust Trailer

Related Posts

Demi Moore To Direct Breast Cancer Film; Set To Star With Miley Cyrus In ‘LOL’

Related Posts

Jennifer Aniston Joins Zach Galifianakis and Tila Tequila Between Two Ferns

Related Posts

Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Natalie Portman Make Fandango’s 2011 Hot List

Related Posts

Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston in Just Go With It Trailer

Related Posts

Jennifer Aniston Cougar Town Appearance Was Boring

Related Posts

Watch: Jennifer Aniston Cougar Town Clip

Related Posts

Jennifer Aniston Joins Courteney Cox on Cougar Town

Related Posts

The Switch: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 5.5/10

Photos:

Trailer:

Related Posts

The Switch Clip – Jennifer Aniston’s on the Prowl

Related Posts

Jennifer Aniston Circling Horrible Bosses

Related Posts