Gamer (2009, U.S.)

Wow.

In a dystopian future, people play an online game called "Society" )like the Sims) where they control real people in a not-so-virtual world. These actors are paid to "work" in this game. Then the game creator, Castle, gets another idea, creating a modern warfare game where the game's "characters" are cons from death row in America's overcrowded prisons. It is intense. Gerard Butler plays a con who was set up for murder and has survived 20-odd "missions" in the game. (If they survive 30, they're pardoned.) Logan Lerman is the 17-year-old gamer controlling him. Ludacris heads a subversive group called Humanz who are trying to expose the evil of Castle's empire.

It is intense, action-packed, thought-provoking. It offers some interesting commentary on modern society, thinly disguised by a horrible future. Of course, at what point does commentary on society's obsession with gaming, sex, and violence just become a vehicle for gratuitous gaming, sex, and violence? It's kind of a fine line, and they toe it here, but I think it works. Because once you finish watching this, you'll start thinking about those things, but then you'll think, "Well bad me for liking this movie so much!" At least that's the feeling I got.

Sometimes it was a bit over the top (i.e. when Kable vomits whiskey into a gas tank and then urinates into it as well, which somehow makes the car work), but for the most part it was excellent, from the science to the action to the satire to the very last plot twist. I was pretty surprised (having only watched this in a quest to find the pre-chick flick Butler), but I really liked it and would pretty strongly recommend it.

Rating: 4.0

The Bounty Hunter (2010, U.S.)

Blah, blah, blah. Another romantic comedy with a good idea and a terrible execution.

Milo is a bounty hunter with bad luck, and then he gets an assignment to track down his bail-jumping journalist ex-wife, who's doing a story on a dirty cop murder cover up. They find themselves on the run in a ridiculous, unbelievable adventure.

Look, people. Jennifer Aniston is not a good actress. She never has been, she never will be. She plays the same character over and over again. Rachel Green, Brooke Meyers, Nicole Hurley... they're all the same. (I will say that she was actually excellent in The Good Girl, but that was an exception and not a rule.) Gerard Butler, on the other hand, is a wonderful, wonderful actor. He was the Phantom of the Opera, for crying out loud. And now he's doing crap like The Bounty Hunter and The Ugly Truth. Also he's looking kind of rough. It's just not right.

Rating: 2.5

RocknRolla (2008, UK)

I don't know why I insist on continuing to watch British crime comedies when I rarely end up liking them. Oh way, yes I do. Snatch—Brad Pitt. Layer Cake—Daniel Craig. RocknRolla—Gerard Butler. I'm a sucker for those British men, even if the movie isn't my favorite genre.

I can see why people who like this type of film would like it. It had some pretty extreme shoot outs and disgusting intimations of violence (such as dipping people in pools of man-eating crawfish). There were also some pretty funny lines, but not really my kind of funny.

Mostly I spent the whole movie confused about who was doing what and why, and whose relationships were what and why... and, of course, how sexy Gerard Butler is, even as a gangster!

Even though I'm giving it the same rating as Snatch, I believe I liked it quite a bit more. The twist at the end was especially awesome.

Rating: 2.5

The Ugly Truth (2009, U.S.)

Wow. So this was supposed to come out in April, and I was really disappointed when it didn't. I figured they pushed back the release date to get a new rating. Boy, was I wrong.

I have never seen a movie so full of misogynistic and overly-sexualized jokes. It often bordered on tasteless, but it remained quite funny. It definitely walked a fine line. Even though it might have been a bit much for a "romantic comedy," it was also a breath of fresh air because it was just so different. Let me recommend not watching it if you're very easily offended. (I can be offended fairly easily, and I was *this close* to offense every now and then.) But for most people out there, it's hilarious and I think you'll love it.

Gerard Butler is a b-e-a-utiful man. I'm a little bit biased in his favor, but I can still say that he is an amazing actor, and he was shockingly believeable as a rude, chauvanistic pig. I've never seen him play anything quite like it (although he has done some out there roles). (Side note: he's looking a bit odd these days, like he's gained a lot of weight but just in his face. Well, more like he's been stung repeatedly in the face by bees. Anyway.) Here I go with my bias again, but Katherine Heigl was Katherine Heigl. Really, I do not understand the appeal. She plays the same silly, 2-dimensional, whiny, anorexic little girl in everything. You don't understand why the leading man, even one as shallow as the lead in this flick, would want to be with her. Casting could have been way better on that front.

And then they live conveniently-ever-after. Really, I liked it—but what more is there to say about a romantic comedy?

Rating: 3.5