Movie Review: Cedar Rapids

This was one of the few comedies that made it into Sundance this year, and after sitting down to watch it, I can see why. Ed Helms stars as Tim Lippe, an insurance salesman with a slight case of agoraphobia. A last minute decision sends him off to Cedar Rapids for an insurance convention and he is given very specific instructions not to associate with another agent, Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly). Lippe is a very small fish in a very loud pond when he arrives at the convention, where he unwittingly befriends a prostitute right away (Alia Shawkat from Arrested Development). He also warms up to fellow insurance agents Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Witlock Jr.) and Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Anne Heche) and eventually starts to warm up to Zeigler (Deanzie to his friends). Of course his new friends bring out a side of Lippe he's never seen before and in turn, this three day trip turns into the wake-up call that changes his life forever. Please go see this film! The characters are developed extremely well and the director, Miguel Arteta, really makes them shine! Cedar Rapids opens nation wide in theaters this Friday!

I give Cedar Rapids a 9 outta 10.

Movie Review: Red

So I FINALLY got to see this movie this week! I wanted to see it so badly in theaters, but it just didn't pan out.. Regardless, it was worth the wait. Based on the DC comic of the same name, it was full of action, witty dialog, and kept my attention throughout. It had a great cast: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, and Mary-Louise Parker really made a fun group to watch. And with Karl Urban and Brian Cox popping in from time to time to liven things up, there was never a dull moment. I do have to say, Bruce Willis really didn't do anything spectacular.. he was just Bruce Willis, and Morgan Freeman has played so many parts that this one seemed effortless for him. The true stars of this film were Helen Mirren and John Malkovich. They really made it worthwhile. Mirren, playing a retired CIA operative, introduces herself to Mary-Louise Parker saying "I kill people, dear" with a certain confidence and sweetness about it that made you love her character instantly. Then there's Malkovich, whose character, Marvin, was drugged for so long that his paranoia has made him delusional and a bit off balance, making him by far the most explosive and entertaining character in the bunch. If you have not seen it already, Red is now available on DVD and Blu Ray. Check it out!

I give Red an 8 outta 10!

"Frank, I never thought I'd say this again. I'm getting the pig!"