Review: Letters to Juliet

Romeo and Juliet. The ultimate couple. They may have met a tragic, premature end, but their love story has lived on for centuries as a representation of true, unconditional love. Now, the timeless tale is the basis for the token rom-com of the summer movie season.

In "Letters to Juliet," Amanda Seyfried plays Sophie, a hopeless romantic and a fact-checker for the New Yorker who longs to be a writer. Her overzealous fiancé Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal) is opening a new restaurant immediately after their wedding, so they decide to turn Victor's business trip to Italy into an early honeymoon. But Victor's passion for Sophie pales in comparison to his passion for Italian cuisine, and Sophie is left to sight-see on her own.

She visits the supposed location of Juliet's house and stumbles upon her dream story, one she hopes will prove to her boss she has what it takes to be a journalist. Women from all over the world travel to Verona and leave letters for Juliet, asking her for advice about their love lives. A group of women, who have dubbed themselves the Secretaries of Juliet, answer every letter with a return address.

Sophie discovers a letter that has remained hidden for 50 years and sends its writer, Claire (Vanessa Redgrave), a reply, only to be met a week later by Claire's angry grandson, Charlie (Christopher Egan). Claire has come to Italy to find her first true love, but Charlie is afraid she'll end up with a broken heart and blames Sophie for encouraging her. Claire refuses to relent and invites Sophie to accompany them as they travel the Italian countryside in search of Claire's long-lost love.

"Letters to Juliet" is filled with romantic clichés. The fiancé without one shred of a redeeming quality. The handsome newcomer who, despite being a bit antagonizing at first, melts the heroine's neglected heart. There's even a man who rides in on horseback. But the movie doesn't try to be anything it's not. Everyone involved knows it's just a mushy, sappy, feel-good romance. And because of its lack of pretense, it manages to find a certain charm.

Sure it's completely predictable, but one of the movie's strengths is its ability to be engaging throughout nonetheless, due in large part to its leads.

Seyfried is a likable lead, and Egan is delightfully snarky. But Redgrave and her real-life husband, Franco Nero, steal the show. Redgrave's Claire is the woman we hope to be one day - caring and carefree, having lived a long and happy life. But something is missing, and it's easy to get caught up in her quest to find it.

The only off-putting element of the film was Bernal's Victor. He's supposed to be irritating. He's supposed to be clueless. He's supposed to be selfish. But after less than five minutes onscreen, I could barely stand to listen to another word of his overblown, hyperactive babble. He made it too easy for me to root for Charlie instead.

"Letters to Juliet" won't be winning any Oscars. Heck, it probably won't even be winning any MTV Movie Awards. But if a feel-good sap-fest is what you're looking for, "Letters to Juliet" won't disappoint.

The story is unoriginal, the dialogue is mediocre and the performances are decent. But as cheesy, clichéd rom-coms go, "Letters to Juliet" sweeps you off your feet. B-

Review: Iron Man 2

Superhero sequels tend to fall on one of two extremes – they’re either vast improvements over the first installment like “X2: X-Men United” or “The Dark Knight,” or they’re huge disappointments like the debacle that was “Spider-Man 3.” The sequel to the surprise smash “Iron Man” isn’t quite as strong as the first film, though it’s a far cry from “Spider-Man 3.”

“Iron Man 2” picks up six months after “Iron Man” left off. The world knows that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is Iron Man, he’s successfully made the world a peaceful place and all the attention is starting to go to his head.

But Tony is soon knocked off his high horse when he faces scrutiny from the press and pressure from the government to share his technology with the military, a point that causes tension with his best friend, Jim Rhodes (Don Cheadle).

Unable to keep up with his Iron Man duties and running Stark Industries, he promotes his assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) to CEO of the company. But business pressures are the least of Tony’s worries. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a Russian physicist who’s recreated his technology, wants him dead and Tony’s business rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), will do just about anything to bring him down.

Tony must also contend with a mysterious new assistant (Scarlett Johansson), the increased presence of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and a borderline midlife crisis.

This time around the story doesn’t feel quite as fresh as in the first “Iron Man,” but the snappy dialogue and Downey’s charisma still make it a fun ride. It’s action-packed, hilarious and a surefire crowd pleaser.

It’s also clear that director Jon Favreau is setting the stage for something greater – the upcoming “Avengers” film that unites Iron Man with fellow Marvel heroes Thor, Captain America and The Hulk. “Iron Man 2” contains a few shout-outs to the other Avengers that are sure to please fans of the comics.

As in the first installment, Downey’s performance really carries the film. He’s so funny and so charming that it’s impossible not to love him despite his ever-increasing narcissism. Tony isn’t anywhere close to perfect, but that’s exactly what makes him such an interesting hero.

Paltrow’s chemistry with Downey is particularly magnetic in this film, and Cheadle seems to be a better fit for Rhodey than his predecessor, Terrence Howard.

The whole supporting cast is strong, but Rockwell in particular is a scene stealer. His Justin Hammer is delightfully slimy. His desire to be as powerful as Tony is overwhelming, but his cowardice always gets in his way. Rockwell is probably one of the most underrated actors working today, and he really has the chance to shine here.

“Iron Man 2” might not be as complex as “The Dark Knight,” but it’s the perfect blockbuster to kick off the summer movie season. Especially for fans of the first film, the sequel is a fun-filled adrenaline rush that will leave audiences walking away smiling. B

Top 5 summer movies

From highly-anticipated blockbusters to small Sundance favorites, summer is never a dull season at the movies. Starting Friday, moviegoers can say goodbye to uneventful weekends at the multiplex as summer movie season officially begins. Here are five summer movies I'm particularly looking forward to:

Iron Man 2 (May 7): Most superheroes go to great lengths to protect their true identities. Not Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). At the end of the first installment of John Favreau's smash-hit franchise, Stark revealed that he is Iron Man. In "Iron Man 2," he has to deal with the ramifications of that. Gwyneth Paltrow is back as Pepper Potts and Don Cheadle steps into the role of James Rhodes, who gets a superhero alter ego of his own this time around.

Stark also has to contend with three villains: Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). Hopefully "Iron Man 2" will follow in the footsteps of "X2" and "The Dark Knight" and fare even better than its predecessor, but trying to balance three villains could land the film in "Spider-Man 3" territory.




The A-Team (June 11): As soon as Bradley Cooper jumps out of a plane with a parachute attached to a tank and starts firing mid-air, you know you've got an insanely fun movie on your hands. "The A-Team" looks over-the-top and ridiculous, the perfect combination for an enjoyable summer blockbuster that isn't meant to be taken seriously. With an overload of action and explosion and a cast including Cooper, Liam Neeson and "District 9" star Sharlto Copley, what's not to love?




Toy Story 3 (June 18): It's been more than a decade since the last "Toy Story" film graced the big screen, but the series is just as beloved as ever. If anyone knows how to deliver an amazing sequel, it's Pixar. This time around, Andy is heading off to college and Buzz (Tim Allen), Woody (Tom Hanks) and the gang are shipped off to a daycare center.

If it's anything like the previous two films, "Toy Story 3" should be funny and touching for kids and adults alike. Pixar has yet to release a bad movie, so it will be a complete shock if "Toy Story 3" doesn't deliver.




Inception (July 16): Not much is known about Christopher Nolan's follow-up to his last directorial success, "The Dark Knight." But Nolan has earned a reputation for telling such original, engaging and mind-bending stories that "Inception" is still one of the most highly-anticipated movies of the summer.

The story involves dream invasion, the complexities of the mind and the quest to steal an idea. It will undoubtedly be complex, and it boasts the talent of Leonardo di Caprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, Michel Caine and Ken Watanabe.




Scott Pilgrim vs.The World (Aug. 13): Yes, this looks like Michael Cera playing Michael Cera again, this time in the big screen adaptation of the "Scott Pilgrim" graphic novel series. But this ecclectic vehicle is from the brilliant mind of "Hot Fuzz" and "Shaun of the Dead" director Edgar Wright. As Scott (Cera) tries to defeat the seven evil exes of his new girlfriend, comic book stylings mesh with live action in the most colorful, delightful way.




Honorable mention - The Kids Are All Right (July 7): This Sundance favorite puts a new spin on the dysfunctional family dramedy. A lesbian couple (Annette Bening, Julianne Moore) are living happily with their teenage kids (Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson), but the kids feel like they're missing a father figure. They track down the sperm donor that fathered both of them (Mark Ruffalo), and all five try to adjust to their new family dynamic.

The film received rave reviews at Sundance for being topical without letting politics outshine the relationship aspect of the story.