Tag: dusting hoffman

Are you ready to be the GodFocker? “Little Fockers” (2010)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Paul Weitz
© 2010 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Today’s the final day of the Fockers weekend. I have to say that it really hit me hard when I checked the date of this last part release and it was… 10 years ago! I mean, how? I remember like it was yesterday when I watched it… Time flies like a bee on redbull, guys. Anyway, this part may seem a bit different to you because it’s directed by another person, Paul Weitz, yet, Jay Roach, the director of the two previous parts, was one of the producers. So it’s not like it’s an entirely different comedy. Anyway, those who haven’t seen the previous parts, doom doom doom, *SPOILER* are coming. I guess the title of this part is pretty obvious – Greg and Pam (Ben Stiller and Teri Polo) have children. Not one, but two, because, apparently, Pam was pregnant with twins, Sam and Henry (Daisy Tahan and Colin Baiocchi). Those two little munchkins are about to turn 5 and the whole family is planning an exciting birthday party for them. But we need some Jack-Greg drama, don’t we? Well, at some point Jack starts suspecting that his son-in-law is having an affair with his colleague, Andi Garcia (Jessica Alba). So the whole spying mess begins and at the same time they’re trying to get the twins accepted to a private school, which means plenty of problems and awkward situations. *END OF SPOILERS* I agree that two previous parts were slightly better, but I’m still rating this part high, because it was an adorable ending and I guess I was moved by the whole series in general. I really hope they’ll not make another part in which the twins are teenagers or adults, because that would be too much. 3 is a very good number, let’s keep it this way. Fun fact *AND A SMALL SPOILER*: in this part Bernie, Greg’s father, is away travelling and learning flamenco dance (because why not?) and appears only at the end of the film. It wasn’t planned, because Dustin Hoffman wasn’t supposed to be in this part, but then they came to an agreement and shot a few scenes with him. *END OF THE SMALL SPOILER* Anyway, thank you for joining the Fockers weekend, I hope you’ve had fun and let’s all hope they won’t make new parts. May Fockers be with you!

My rating: 8/10
S.

I’m gonna fockerize you! “Meet the Fockers” (2004)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Jay Roach
© 2004 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I guess the title of today’s post is very accurate to what I’m doing to you this weekend. I’m fockerizing you, because today we’re moving on to the second part of the Focker story. If you haven’t seen the first one, better watch it before reading. *SPOILERS* begin. So those who know the first film should remember that Greg (Ben Stiller), or rather Gaylord Focker (I absolutely love this name), managed to get on with his future father-in-law Jack (Robert De Niro). At the end, Greg proposed to Pam (Teri Polo) and they’ve been engaged for 2 years. Their wedding is soon to happen, so they decide to introduce the Byrnes to the Fockers. That is why they go Miami, where Greg’s parents, Roz and Bernie (Barbra Streisand & Dustin Hoffman), are living. Even though Jack already likes Greg, this visit won’t be that easy for them. Firstly, Jack and Dina (Blythe Danner) are taking care of their grandson, little Jack (Pam’s sister’s child), so look out, there’s a baby in the story. Baby means mess. Chaos. Armageddon. Secondly, Greg’s parents are quite unusual, very hippie and very sexual. And what’s even worse, Jack starts suspecting that Greg has some secret he’s hiding from everyone… But you’ll see! *END OF SPOILER* You know how sequels are often worse than the original films? Because I’m always worried about any sequel that’s about to be released. This one is equally funny and Focking good (yes, I had to make this joke, forgive me). Besides, I think that Streisand and Hoffman as Greg’s parents were a fantastic choice. I absolutely loved them in those roles. What can I say? I love the Fockers! And I hope you too, or at least you’ll see the films after my posts. But don’t sit down yet, the fockerizing is not done yet. Get ready for tomorrow…

My rating: 8/10
S.

With all due respect, fuck you, sir. “Outbreak” (1995)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Wolfgang Petersen
© 1995 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve seen this film several times and each time I watch it as if I didn’t knew what’s about to happen. It isn’t a documentary, but it was based on a nonfiction book called “The Hot Zone” by Richard Preston, which presents the danger of the filoviruses (including the very well known Ebola virus). In the film we have a made-up virus called Motaba. The story starts in 1967 in the jungle where plenty of people are suffering from a deadly fever. The US Army deals with it. How? You’ll see. Then we move 28 years later to Zaire where there’s an outbreak of Motaba. A group of American virologists go there to investigate the problem. They return to inform that there’s no need to worry about getting infected. Unfortunately, the host to the virus gets smuggled to the US. And this host is a capuchin monkey. The smuggler, his girlfriend and the man who took the monkey to his pet store catch the virus. Luckily, they are the only ones infected. The problem begins when the monkey gets released, those three die and the scientists realise that Motaba mutates. Now it’s enough to go to the cinema, breath in, breath out and done. You’re about to die in few days. Creepy? Horribly. I always feel uncomfortable thinking of this story, because it can actually happen. We hear about dangerous viruses somewhere on another continent and we don’t even worry about it. Because it’s there, not here. But we forget that we’re living in the 21st century now. Going to another continent takes around 10 hours. We already know how dangerous flying is when it comes to that. You get stuck in a tube with hundreds of different people. You never know who they are or what kind of illnesses they have. You may also catch a virus from a random person at the airport and you don’t even need to be travelling to the same country. If I destroyed the idea of your perfect holidays now, I’m sorry. I can just say that I also travel and “exchange viruses” with plenty of people. So far I’m fine. But this film gives you some food for thought. Besides, it’s full of amazing actors, such as Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, Cuba Gooding Jr. or Patrick Dempsey. Despite the topic, it’s really pleasant to watch it. 

My rating: 7/10
S.

Who’s bad? “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Robert Benton
© 1979 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Classic for today. Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, a popular novel and an even more popular film. Cannot be bad, right? And it isn’t. I was trying to watch it 3 times. Somehow the topic of the story wasn’t appealing, despite the couple of fantastic actors. Perhaps it’s good I’d waited with it because this production requires a specific mood and concentration from the viewer. It just seems like a simple story, but when you focus enough, you may see much more than just two people arguing. So the story goes like this: Joanna (Meryl Streep) and Ted (Dustin Hoffman) are a young married couple with a small son Billy (Justin Henry). At first everything seems fine, they’re just a regular family. One day Joanna informs Ted that she’s leaving him and Billy, because she wants “to find herself”. The man, neglecting work, needs to devote himself to the child. They don’t really tolerate one another that much, because Billy is used to being with mommy and Ted is used to be a workaholic, not a babysitter. After several months they finally create a great father-son connection and then… then Joanna comes back saying she’s ready to take care of Billy again. Simple? For us perhaps yes. But back then it was a quite controversial film. First of all, it’s about a divorce, which used to be more of a taboo topic. Now people get married and divorced during the same weekend, but before it was considered as a social catastrophe. We also have the character of Billy, who is a child that’s being treated like a doll, so it emphasises the problem of not focusing on the offspring of a divorcing couple. Then there’s the topic of gender inequality in a sense. Joanna, a woman, a mother – she should always stay at home and make sure her family is fine. But no, she runs away just like that. And Ted, a man – he should be working and not taking care of children at home. Suddenly those perfect female and male worlds get destroyed. There’s no longer a mother and a father. There are parents who can behave completely different from what we’re familiar with. After 40 years, this film may still shock some of you, even if you’re used to the reality where after “happily ever after” there’s a child and divorce and another marriage, another child, another divorce etc. You may also reflect a lot about who is the good or the bad one in this relationship. Or are they really? A huge bowl of food for thought. And I think one of my favourite roles of Meryl Streep.

My rating: 8/10
S.

I was a better man with you as a woman than I ever was with a woman as a man. “Tootsie” (1982)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Sydney Pollack
© 1982 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

The most sophisticated joke in the history of cinema is a man dressed up as a woman. It’s such a basic and cheesy thing, but somehow people still laugh when they see a man in full makeup choosing a dress and shaving his legs. Even in the 21st century where we have more and more transgender people, Mr Smith in high heels makes us giggle. However, this film is an absolute classic that you should know. If you’re a fan of Dustin Hoffman, then I’m sure you can agree that this is one of his most significant roles. And, honestly speaking, he’s a better woman on the screen than plenty of actresses I could name… Anyway, if you haven’t heard of “Tootsie”, then let me introduce you to the story. Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is a very good actor, but he has problems getting jobs. Nobody wants to work with him because he’s incredibly meticulous and does everything professionally. Desperate about not getting new roles, he decides to dress up as a woman and take part in a soap opera audition as Dorothy Michaels. Very original name switch. Anyway, he somehow manages to trick the producers and they give him the role. But instead of playing a silly chick, he actually becomes a real feminist in front of the camera, which surprises everyone. Soon he becomes well-known for his personality as Dorothy. This film is not only a funny comedy about a jobless actor, but also a significant production for the history of the USA. It presents the social situation there in the 80s and how women still needed to fight for their rights not to be seen as human-sized dolls. In 1983 Dustin Hoffman lost to Ben Kingsley when it comes to the Academy Awards. I believe both gentlemen did an equally great job, so the fact that Hoffman ended up empty handed is just bad luck. I honestly recommend you”Tootsie” because of this one role. Without Hoffman, this film wouldn’t be the same for sure. Interesting fact: the name “Tootsie” comes from Hoffman’s personal life. His mother used to be calling him this way. Told you it wouldn’t be the same.

My rating: 7/10
S.

And then he dies. The end. “Stranger Than Fiction” (2006)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Marc Forster
© 2006 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

When you hear such names as Dustin Hoffman or Emma Thompson, you know we’re talking about good quality acting performances. You may not like the films with them, but their parts are very often the ones making you stare at the screen. This time it wasn’t the reason why I decided to watch this film. I’ve recently realised that I’m a huge fan of Marc Forster, so I’ve thought about watching his older productions. Not going to pretend – it’s not his best film. It’s actually quite average. But the reason why I’m recommending it is because you may like the story. How would you feel if one day you found out that you’re a book character and your life is being written by an author who struggles with her life (and mental health as well) and who always kills her main characters at the end? Ha! Curious? Of course you are! It’s not a thriller or anything. It’s actually a nice comedy with a bit of drama. You may reflect on your life and the reality around us. And there’s Dusting Hoffman and Emma Thompson, so I guess I don’t even need to tell you about acting. It’s top. Wondering if Harold Crick dies at the end? Or maybe wondering HOW he dies? Well… enjoy 🙂

My rating: 6.5/10
S.