A good movie is a magical thing. When watching a well-constructed film, an audience should be enveloped by it. Yes, suspense should be felt and happiness shared, but more than that; the person watching should feel as if he or she is a part of the film. The movie, in fact, should no longer appear as a movie at all, but an adventure experienced amid an otherwise banal existence. I recall the stories of most movies not as such, but as memories as clear as my first kiss. To this day I still remember the first tooth I lost, the first man-eating shark I blew up, and the multiple love affairs I've had with Ingrid Bergman. And, yes Mr. Reiner, I recall meeting, on several occasions, Sally, rescuing a certain princess bride, and the brief period I spent as the drummer for Spinal Tap.
`Alex & Emma', however, which I saw only a few hours ago, is already less than a fleeting hint of boredom in my mind. I was not enveloped. Through a coincidence quite unfortunate to all involved, including myself, badly directed weak performances of a poor script were edited faultily. In other words, there was very little to like about this movie. True, this was all said weeks ago by highly respected film-critics, but I too thought to myself, `but how could I pass up Rob Reiner's new romantic comedy?' After all, he did bring us `When Harry Met Sally'. Ah, but such thinking was my downfall and I beg you to prevent it from being yours; had Mr. Rob not included himself in the movie, I would have assumed he had died and the studio had had someone else direct this insult to my eyes. Perhaps Raja Gosnell. A very drunk Raja Gosnell. A very drunk Raja Gosnell attempting to ruin his career. In fact, no, `Never Been Kissed,' Mr. Gosnell's first romantic comedy and second film was ten times the film this was.
In conclusion, don't see `Alex & Emma.' If not to save yourself the time and money, and avoid what would undoubtedly be an unsuccessful date, shun this film in an attempt to, in your own mind, cherish the concept of love as something ever-so romantic and always free from cliché and relish the image of Rob Reiner as a director who could do no wrong. Because believe me, he can.
`Alex & Emma', however, which I saw only a few hours ago, is already less than a fleeting hint of boredom in my mind. I was not enveloped. Through a coincidence quite unfortunate to all involved, including myself, badly directed weak performances of a poor script were edited faultily. In other words, there was very little to like about this movie. True, this was all said weeks ago by highly respected film-critics, but I too thought to myself, `but how could I pass up Rob Reiner's new romantic comedy?' After all, he did bring us `When Harry Met Sally'. Ah, but such thinking was my downfall and I beg you to prevent it from being yours; had Mr. Rob not included himself in the movie, I would have assumed he had died and the studio had had someone else direct this insult to my eyes. Perhaps Raja Gosnell. A very drunk Raja Gosnell. A very drunk Raja Gosnell attempting to ruin his career. In fact, no, `Never Been Kissed,' Mr. Gosnell's first romantic comedy and second film was ten times the film this was.
In conclusion, don't see `Alex & Emma.' If not to save yourself the time and money, and avoid what would undoubtedly be an unsuccessful date, shun this film in an attempt to, in your own mind, cherish the concept of love as something ever-so romantic and always free from cliché and relish the image of Rob Reiner as a director who could do no wrong. Because believe me, he can.