Movie #541.........................."New Year's Eve"

Movie #541 "New Year's Eve" is a likable enough movie with lots of subplots, which I enjoy, really ----- ever since "Love Actually" there have been movies like this, some not so good, others better. This is one of the better ones ---- Garry Marshall knows how to direct this and get an editor that can put it together well. The format works for me because it's better spending a few minutes with someone like Zac Efron or Sophia Variga (sp?) than an entire movie ------you know what I mean? and I like the way the stories come together at the end --- he did the same thing in "Valentine's Day" --- on the way out from this one, the usher asked me if I liked it and I said "Yes" and he said he did, too, but it wasn't as good as the other one ---- I think they are quite equal. The other one was a tad more poignant because it's dealing with less of a time crunch ---- this one has more intensity because it is dealing with that midnight deadline for a lot of the stories, and I kind of liked that (perhaps some people might see the cheesiness in that, but I don't recognize cheesiness a lot) I liked all the stories: There's Seth Meyers/Jessica Alba/Sarah Paulson racing to have the midnight baby that pays off in a hospital, Lea Michelle and Ashton Kutcher in the stalled elevator (Ashton was better in the other one), Katherine Heigel and Jon Bon Jovi (isn't he too old for her?) playing exes at some big deal party, Hallie Berry is nurse to Robert De Niro who is dying in a hospital and waiting til midnight, Hillary Swank and Ludicrous and Hector Elizondo all work together to get the ball to drop in times square, Sarah Jessica Parker is mother to Abigail Breslin (this one was overacted) who wants to get her first kiss in Times Square, and the most interesting one to me: Zac Efron is trying to make Michelle Pfeiffer's wishes come true before midnight to get some big deal tickets to a party, and Josh Dashumel (?) is trying to travel from Connecticut to NYC before midnight to meet a woman he met last year (it's kind of a steal from "Affair to Remember"). I esp. liked the moments with the soldiers, reminding us how happy we should be that the troops are coming home (esp. after McCain was all over the Today show this a.m. telling us what a bad idea it was) There's some singing, there's more poignancy, some good acting moments (Swank, DeNiro, Berry) and some bad (Kutcher, Breslin, Jovi) some surprises (cameos), and hilarious out takes at the end while we watch he darling Michelle Pfeiffer dancing with another darling Zac Efron. All together a nice afternoon at the movies, and I recommend it for people who just want to be entertained. I'm wondering what holiday the next Garry Marshall movie will concern? Easter? Labor Day? Memorial Day? 4th of July? It really doesn't matter, as long as he can get a good list of actors who can make the most out of some bad lines once in a while.






I rated it 4 out of 5 stars
New Year's Eve
(2011) PG-13
In this star-studded romantic comedy, the fates of a diverse group of New Yorkers are wound together on New Year's Eve -- including one expectant couple hoping their baby will be the first to be born in the Big Apple after midnight.
Genre:Comedies
Availability: DVD and Blu-ray availability date unknown