JASON BATEMAN & REBECCA HALL & JOEL EDGERTON IN THE GIFT

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsLSjcCtCrhl4yquIC3Wh2-Ty9tXYdZN1DXr7nY7SOJ4jrkAhAQ6sfTjypOhda-UXzPgyjte4F8ptmRHpX9gsBHP61uxu15pKTJyeNQds-fFEnlZy82OdsXyOiC0CsTlQBFB9hCBMecY/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-08-07+at+11.15.24+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsLSjcCtCrhl4yquIC3Wh2-Ty9tXYdZN1DXr7nY7SOJ4jrkAhAQ6sfTjypOhda-UXzPgyjte4F8ptmRHpX9gsBHP61uxu15pKTJyeNQds-fFEnlZy82OdsXyOiC0CsTlQBFB9hCBMecY/s320/Screen+shot+2015-08-07+at+11.15.24+PM.png" width="208" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2015 rating: ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> THE GIFT is both exactly what it seems and nothing like it's supposed to be. Well that's the eventual turnout, which shouldn't be spoiled. Only to say that Jason Bateman takes a passive passenger seat until really coming alive. Those who grew up watching him as a snarky child and teenager can probably imagine the unseen yet very mentioned, extremely manipulative popular kid from former school days. One that rears up as a stalking reminder in the form of a once-bullied menace played by writer/director Joel Edgerton, who gives a sort of voyeuresque pulse ala FATAL ATTRACTION combined with the basic plot of a lesser known vehicle putting the indecisive wife up front, UNLAWFUL ENTRY...<br /> <br /> Bateman and Edgerton aside, the central character is Rebecca Hall's Robyn. She not only plays the most vulnerable in a movie built on edgy suspense and sudden jolts to scare the audience, but she holds the big questions to this particular style of thriller. "How much will she let this noticeably freakish person get away with, and for how long?" And the sole answer relies on Bateman...<br /> <br /> As Simon, a seemingly cookie-cutter "yuppie" husband, he holds the truly intense cards provided by Edgerton, the writer. For the character-actor turned filmmaker, in a role that could have been his very own scene-stealing Glenn Close bunny boiler meets Norman Bates PSYCHO, Joel lets the moody tension rely elsewhere. And for the most part, with the exception of a few overlong scenes concerning husband and wife during a claustrophobic first act, it's an entertaining two-hours of intentionally awkward silence... that knows when and when not to make a lot of noise.

2015, jason bateman, joel edgerton, rebecca hall, thriller

JASON BATEMAN & REBECCA HALL & JOEL EDGERTON IN THE GIFT

year: 2015 rating: *** THE GIFT is both exactly what it seems and nothing like it's supposed to be. Well that's the eventual tur...

JASON BATEMAN & COMPANY RETURN FOR HORRIBLE BOSSES 2

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3ef7uW0YEjQ3SbWxQlzII7Ajerl7VrGmsLWo14EF5szQ8RhxnK1wO52ktO70LNCaA_rWkrRenexRPPU3ldgNHGSLPwsTs_yjR4uGlXShm5az-ZpEZ2amuzYC7OlfkNgELj454bbHS-0/s1600/MV5BNzU4OTEzNzAwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTgwODAwMzE@._V1_SX214_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3ef7uW0YEjQ3SbWxQlzII7Ajerl7VrGmsLWo14EF5szQ8RhxnK1wO52ktO70LNCaA_rWkrRenexRPPU3ldgNHGSLPwsTs_yjR4uGlXShm5az-ZpEZ2amuzYC7OlfkNgELj454bbHS-0/s320/MV5BNzU4OTEzNzAwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTgwODAwMzE@._V1_SX214_AL_.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 rating: ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day as working wrecks Nick, Kurt and Dale were the GoBots to The Hangover’s Transformers, but now they’re basically channeling The Three Stooges. And instead of poking fingers into another person's eyeballs, the ever-flustered Nick constantly rolls his own since his buddies are ten times goofier and inept – even with a business idea that finally makes them their very own bosses.<br /> <br /> But the American Dream ends quickly after being ripped off by corporate jerk Bert, played by Quentin Tarantino regular Christoph Waltz. Thus a kidnapping scheme is born involving Bert’s even jerkier son, Rex...<br /> <br /> As an eventual fourth banana, Chris Pine – while pretty great as a serious Captain Kirk – seems downright awkward in a comedy film. The trio fare better on their own: the best scenes involving the two going back and forth while the one shakes his head, never quite grasping that he's in another (and another and another) fine mess. Meanwhile, the returning Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey seem like special guest stars at a reunion special.  <br /> <br /> While the first movie spent half the time explaining why and how the characters loathed their bosses, this breezier and funnier follow-up (a plot combining 9 TO 5 with RUTHLESS PEOPLE) is an instant platform for the bantering hijinkx. A good thing since these guys were always better than their revenge-driven concept. 

2014, chris pine, christoph waltz, comedy, jamie foxx, jason bateman, jason sudeikis

JASON BATEMAN & COMPANY RETURN FOR HORRIBLE BOSSES 2

2014 rating: *** Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day as working wrecks Nick, Kurt and Dale were the GoBots to The Hangover’s T...

JASON BATEMAN IN THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oth40IG52DraxDhOHyt0vLKPgvH0dowB0e6a8xOuCRihpg_3K9MDE_yxbPUpkcrhR_pj69hHfPN-w9AfDOiFv8rc2HvIYBEX_uOc04UK2bOdqojz5lnJYso2FzjgkVFb4H6K7cBLJ0U/s1600/MV5BMjkzNzQ2NDMyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTY3MTcxMjE@._V1_SY759_SX512_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oth40IG52DraxDhOHyt0vLKPgvH0dowB0e6a8xOuCRihpg_3K9MDE_yxbPUpkcrhR_pj69hHfPN-w9AfDOiFv8rc2HvIYBEX_uOc04UK2bOdqojz5lnJYso2FzjgkVFb4H6K7cBLJ0U/s1600/MV5BMjkzNzQ2NDMyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTY3MTcxMjE@._V1_SY759_SX512_AL_.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 rating: **1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> While seeming like another AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, where an eclectic lot reunites after the death of a beloved yet mysterious patriarch, both films are reminiscent inspirations of THE BIG CHILL… A collection of polar opposites gathered in one place where personalities collide, but in an ultimately optimistic, life-affirming sense… The usual. <br /> <br /> In SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, Bradley Cooper went to the nuthouse after catching his wife having sex with another man – so let’s give Jason Bateman’s Judd Altman some credit… He keeps it all inside, and remains pretty cool, but is forced to spend a week with people he’d much rather avoid… An equal penance, maybe.<br /> <br /> Judd is the clean slate main character, allowing the other family members to shine and/or attempt stealing scenes, especially black sheep little (yet very tall) brother Philip, played by Adam Driver, who gets all the best lines but there’s something missing. His wild card is too forced, contrived. And Bateman relies on his usual glib reactions for every unpredictable element... <br /> <br /> Which also includes blunt advice from Tina Fey’s Wendy, his older sister and a somewhat wasted character throughout, given a quickie affair with a neighbor that amounts to little. Tina deserved better. And their famous author mom, Hillary, who has a brand new set of breasts and a secret revealed later on… Veteran actress Jane Fonda, in playing a woman too open-minded to everything around her, isn't very interesting. <br /> <br /> While the situations are often humorous, and the dialogue is natural and laidback, this particular reunion feels a bit staged, showcasing an American family the director assumes we know more than we actually do. Never given a chance to delve into these people beyond their lusty one-liners and worldly bantler, it’s like over-hearing a party next door instead of actually attending.

adam driver, ensemble, jane fonda, jason bateman, rose byrne, tina fey

JASON BATEMAN IN THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU

2014 rating: **1/2 While seeming like another AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, where an eclectic lot reunites after the death of a beloved yet myst...

JASON BATEMAN DIRECTS AND STARS IN BAD WORDS

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgxCvLu8jB6HqyhhFBQyk9JRG9bNLWa0kqAyXsWHDrt7RRfUiB1RAa3BvakzkH_Opoc4cG8MaoF3xL0vsI3T-9qSHHsFMTcUgVw9xQJyv1DbkBWlpvtk8pOceB1Gx52IWy_D_8XuVzFQ/s1600/red-band-trailer-for-jason-batemans-comedy-bad-words.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgxCvLu8jB6HqyhhFBQyk9JRG9bNLWa0kqAyXsWHDrt7RRfUiB1RAa3BvakzkH_Opoc4cG8MaoF3xL0vsI3T-9qSHHsFMTcUgVw9xQJyv1DbkBWlpvtk8pOceB1Gx52IWy_D_8XuVzFQ/s1600/red-band-trailer-for-jason-batemans-comedy-bad-words.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #073763;">year: 2014 rating: *1/2</span></b></td></tr> </tbody></table> <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #073763;">Norman Bates in PSYCHO… Alex in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE… Stansfield in THE PROFESSIONAL… These are a few moody characters that listen to Beethoven for negative inspiration: And now Guy Trilby, played by comedic actor and first time feature film director Jason Bateman, can be added to that list…</span></i></b><br /> <br /> Beginning with a classic symphony playing from a pair of iPod headphones, a no-nonsense, foul-mouthed Guy has his sites on one of several Spelling Bee competitions he’s sure to win. Not only can he spell just about any word, he’s pretty darn old… Forty to be exact… And has found a loophole to compete against and defeat mere children.<br /> <br /> The trick is that Guy says terrible things to people, from the kids to the parents, and Jason Bateman is no stranger to glib, goading characters: The cult television series ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT brought him out of straight-to-video purgatory and back onto the big screen, and he got his start as uncompromising '80s sitcom punks in SILVER SPOONS and the short-lived pseudo-spinoff IT’S YOUR MOVE.<br /> <br /> So this snarky role should be a piece of cake but is more of a slice of plain bread… Bateman tries too hard to be a verbal cutthroat and at the same time isn’t trying hard enough. He’s not very funny or relatable so the one-liners and over the top diatribes all start sounding the same after a while. And with an abundance of lazy montage sequences, most of the spelling bees lack suspense. But the film’s heart is really supposed to matter – and it’s beating way too loud on a predictable, cliché sleeve…<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDLyKtuzEgwtUiMsmojN3nKn07xbJj2H3q7hOXcFYngOfhwdtgedd_fDcHpCDotlsmiUmK_voZ1YBNlKxNw3zm1MLOk2NbOuY1rAbuYlUE6vS6ZqNzSMsqDbAtIHQ_B2sU3BuouPM8Fo/s1600/29f51d30-33bd-46ce-80fb-cc8918730bf8_zpsf37f51d9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDLyKtuzEgwtUiMsmojN3nKn07xbJj2H3q7hOXcFYngOfhwdtgedd_fDcHpCDotlsmiUmK_voZ1YBNlKxNw3zm1MLOk2NbOuY1rAbuYlUE6vS6ZqNzSMsqDbAtIHQ_B2sU3BuouPM8Fo/s1600/29f51d30-33bd-46ce-80fb-cc8918730bf8_zpsf37f51d9.jpg" width="152" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #073763;">Bateman circa 1984</span></b></td></tr> </tbody></table> JACK AND JILL child actor Rohan Chand becomes Guy’s "friend" as both are set to ultimately compete against each other and, staying at the same hotel, they wind up painting the town: Drinking, shoplifting and joyriding, their kinship is forced and farfetched while the ever-smirking Rohan seems completely aware of the camera. Sadly, and with his track record, surprisingly, Bateman’s grouchy mentor isn’t interesting enough to carry things on his own. <br /> <br /> An 11th hour twist, attempting to make the clever tagline <i>"The End Justifies the Mean"</i> make sense, is flat and anticlimactic, serving only to allow our bitter antihero to become likable: Too bad since the mystery of why Guy has it in for everyone was the best thing the film had going…<br /> <br /> That is, except the music, including a funky instrumental from The Beastie Boys and finishing with one of The Smashing Pumpkin’s coolest tracks, a gloriously grungy epic titled <i>Snail</i>, which, along with that rudimentary Beethoven piece, amounts to a glorious silk hat on a S-U-S-S-C-R-O-F-A-D-O-M-E-S-T-I-C-U-S.

2014, allison janney, dark comedy, jason bateman, philip baker hall

JASON BATEMAN DIRECTS AND STARS IN BAD WORDS

year: 2014 rating: *1/2 Norman Bates in PSYCHO… Alex in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE… Stansfield in THE PROFESSIONAL… These are a few moody charac...

IDENTITY THIEF

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDIImARw3KJUjULfJIccP8r2ygec06UjEalHO9le45GUeVrMj0-7M__8VvRnPHhX7nEDTeXj1WFchCNe_jaLll6AV9AF3RPl1M5az2oX4qXmZ0gAhrTv5aSvLIMQipP3IdUO0xCeGSNU/s1600/id+theif.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDIImARw3KJUjULfJIccP8r2ygec06UjEalHO9le45GUeVrMj0-7M__8VvRnPHhX7nEDTeXj1WFchCNe_jaLll6AV9AF3RPl1M5az2oX4qXmZ0gAhrTv5aSvLIMQipP3IdUO0xCeGSNU/s640/id+theif.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: #073763;"><b>year: 2013 cast: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau rating: **1/2</b></span></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> Melissa McCarthy is really hot. Disagree? Well she has this movie in theaters about to nab number one at the box office, and another under way with a trailer shown right before IDENTITY THIEF: where everyman husband/father Sandy Pettersen, played by Jason Bateman, pays the price of having a first name often attributed to females. This is how con artist McCarthy’s resilient Diana steals his identity, using his credit cards to buy everything from a jet ski to a brand new car. <br /> <br /> Sandy… that is, the real Sandy… works as an accountant while the fake Sandy has turned his life upside-down. <br /> <br /> We’ll skip past his really bad day (Bateman doing a stock glib victim-of-circumstance role) and cut to the plot at hand: he’s given a week to go from Colorado to Florida to find his thief, and then bring her back to the police. Of course anyone familiar with TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES, DUE DATE and the recent GUILT TRIP knows this won’t be as simple as planned. <br /> <br /> Actually, finding this woman is easy enough, but trying to subdue her is the difficult part. She has a penchant for painful throat jabs and can survive more brutal accidents than a crash test dummy and Wile E. Coyote combined.  <br /> <br /> Eventually, since they can't take a plane, Sandy and Diana have to drive cross-country and the inevitable road movie begins. A few semi funny moments occur, including an action-packed car chase, but a lot of McCarthy’s humor is too gross and over-the-top to seem like she’s earned laughs on her own accord. Perhaps HORRIBLE BOSSES director Seth Gordon is competing for the Judd Apatow/Seth McFarland super-R rated spotlight. But in this particular case, the gross out factor only serves as a crutch or distraction.<br /> <br /> It's when Sandy has to become more like Diana, both cutting corners to escape vicious thugs and the law, that the characters not only grow closer, they become more real. And you gotta give credit to the lead actors for trudging through some deliberately sappy moments centering on Diana’s back story and shortcomings: shy's made much too sympathetic throughout.  <br /> <br /> The important thing is both Bateman and McCarthy make a decent team, and are often more likable  than the somewhat standard script allows.

2013, comedy, jason bateman, jon favreau, jonathan banks, melissa mccarthy, road movie, robert patrick

IDENTITY THIEF

year: 2013 cast: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau rating: **1/2 Melissa McCarthy is really hot. Disagree? Well she has this ...

THE CHANGE-UP

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRlbYaavVSswj-YzGdJXGweU4Ngv5R_qyeaUFiwxaMNhpmO5TH31B5dYzhEGE_3eP-HFIprBfPfI2XGS12Tx31fIL1jr4xAeMlAvWjMXTQHJ0o1CmVoamFLCbN82f2Y3S5ukf9LknWccV/s1600/thechangeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRlbYaavVSswj-YzGdJXGweU4Ngv5R_qyeaUFiwxaMNhpmO5TH31B5dYzhEGE_3eP-HFIprBfPfI2XGS12Tx31fIL1jr4xAeMlAvWjMXTQHJ0o1CmVoamFLCbN82f2Y3S5ukf9LknWccV/s320/thechangeup.jpg" width="172" /></a></div><b>title: </b>THE CHANGE-UP<br /> <b>year: </b>2011<br /> <b>cast:</b> Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde <br /> <b>rating: </b>**<br /> <br /> The FREAKY FRIDAY template is used in the raunchy comedy genre: involving a mild-mannered suburban father/workaholic lawyer Jason Bateman changing bodies with his womanizing actor best friend Ryan Reynolds. We don’t get to know each character’s contrary lifestyles, or personalities therein, to merit a significant <i>change</i> when it occurs (they both drunkenly pee in a fountain at the same time), which is important since the entire plot resides on how each guy reacts to living a different lifestyle. The jokes try too hard to push the how-far-can-we-go envelope, making each moment involving their uncomfortable circumstances – Bateman’s hunted by his sexy secretary while Reynolds changes diapers and lands deals in the office – seem secondary to the dialog's shock value. But while Jason Bateman never enjoys his “vacation” taking on the single man’s life he so whined about during the first ten minutes, Reynolds, after a while, does seem genuinely contented with his neglected wife. It’s when they switch back to normal, and the envelope is sealed, we realize the movie wasn’t completely pointless… these poor fellas went through hell and back, after all... but is it worth sitting through all over again?

comedy, jason bateman, olivia wilde, ryan reynolds, tens

THE CHANGE-UP

title: THE CHANGE-UP year: 2011 cast: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde rating: ** The FREAKY FRIDAY template is used in the ...