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The Pursuit of Happyness, a review by Rich

Pursuit of Happyness



Inspired by a true story, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a bright and talented, but marginally employed salesman. Struggling to make ends meet, Gardner finds himself and his five year old son evicted from their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son endure many hardships, including being homeless and living in shelters, in pursuit of his dream of a better life for the two of them.

Feel good tale of a man determined to succeed and provide a better life for him and his son, gritty portrayal of sheer perseverence.
Will Smith is admirable in his role, but his son in real-life Jaden outshines him and looks like a future star unless Hollywood ruins another promising child actor. The interplay between them is clearly natural and never forced, and helps the movie tick along at a good pace.
As a viewer you can relate to the various trials and tribulations that Gardner faced, and how he overcomes adversity to obtain his 'happyness'.
A cynic might question why a man dragged his young son through homeless shelters and sleeping in toilets, when he could have taken a normal job and put a roof over his head.
But aside from this I found it an enjoyable movie, perhaps a must see, heart-warming and emotional.
 


(From Riches Random Reviews on March 18th, 2009)

Entrapment, a review by Rich

Entrapment



Sparks fly as Zeta-Jones, an insurance agent, charms her way into doing business with Connery, an aging thief. In preparation for their latest heist, Connery has her suffer through a rigorous training camp. Promises begin to blur and dwindle as romance introduces itself into the picture, building up to a payoff that's sure to disappoint one of the involved parties.

Every once in a while you approach a film with little enthusiasm and low expectations, and it turns out to be a peach. This was just one of those occasions.
Despite not being a great fan of the 2 leads, and in truth with alternative actors may have been slightly better and with a more believable romantic undertone (although of course CZJ does like them old and wrinkly), the storyline, special effects, and fast paced action with a multitude of red herrings, twists and turns made this compelling viewing.
A good popcorn glitzy crime caper, with a generous amount of the film centred around CZJ well proportioned butt, if you can pick this up from a bargain bucket I would recommend it.
 


(From Riches Random Reviews on June 15th, 2009)

The One Where It All Began: The Pilot Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

What's the show about?
Three sisters doing spells and stuff. Fighting evil. Looking gorgeous. That's all I know.

"Something Wicca This Way Comes"
After her mother has died the Halliwell sisters Prue, Piper and Phoebe move back into their family house and discover that they are witches and that they are destined to fight evil. Prue can move things with her mind, Piper can see the future and Phoebe can stop time and they have to defend themselves against an evil warlock who wants their powers.

My Opinion
Sorry, I tried, I really did. This is the third time I watched the pilot and I believe I once watched the second episode. This was a blind buy because I thought "What can go wrong: three beautiful ladies, witchcraft, battling evil - cool.". But it wasn't. The way they simply accepted their fate and never really questioned what has happened to them? Not freaking out? Sure, they toyed with a spirit board in their youth but they never even knew that there actually were paranormal events in the world. And yet "Cool, we're witches, let's fight evil!" - no sorry, can't accept that premise.

(From The One Where It All Began: The Pilot Marathon on September 24th, 2009)