Because I Said So / Scoop / The Break-Up

"Because I Said So"

Is this really an insight into women? It was written by two women so it can't claim to be a movie about women but written by a man. Directed by a man, sure, but after screening the bonus features it was pretty clear he was heavily influenced by the creative control of the women writers, actors, caterer's and costumer's. Overall, I was pretty apalled at the behaviour of Milly (Mandy Moore) by the way she teetered between the two men and used them. Now, before you claim I'm sexist and had the genders been reversed it would have been acceptible, I have to disagree. Maybe I'm getting old, but treating the men the way she did is just wrong.

Her character is one frosted layer after layer of crazy. I saw several common traits in her which were reasons I've ended some of my relationships. Obviously this wackiness was inherited from her mother, Daphne (Diane Keaton), and it's easy for me to see why her husband left her, if she's consistently behaved this way. Or was his leaving the reason for her over-the-top behavoir? It's never explained in the film or deleted scenes, which is poor writing. I do give credit to the script for having Gabriel's wife leave him and their son because she "couldn't handle it" instead of him being a widower.

Also, what a waste of Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo (don’t judge her on Coyote Ugly, check out Lost and Delirious). As film about women, i.e., one that prides itself in being about mothers and daughters and sisters, it's emphasis on just two of the four doesn't seem to make sense. I certainly can't blame either of these two actresses to take these roles when given the chance to work with Diane Keaton, but any good director would know to utilize talent when presented to them.


"Scoop" I hate to use the term "classic Woody Allen" because it's been a long time since I've seen any of his great films, but this one felt very comfortable to me as a Woody Allen film. The story is simple, has a few clever Allen quips (some seem dated, like they were leftovers from previous work) and performances are adeuquate, yet extremely one-note. There are no surprises.

As much as I like her screen presence, I think Scarlett Johansson is miscast here. It's not that she doesn't play the bumbling student nerd well, but it just never sat right with me. Her delivery came across like she was improvising dialogue with long stammers (I think she was doing a female Woody Allen w/o the quips) and it just got boring quick. However, from a writing standpoint, it's a fresh choice for her not to be a golddigger because she's trying to seduce a rich and prominent man (Hugh Jackman) but she's doing it for a story and subsequently genuinely falls for him, without a change in her behaviour.

Forgetable, perhaps, considering Woody Allen's large body of work, but enjoyable.


"The Break-Up" I borderline liked this film overall, however I believe I would like it much more as a play because a live audience would help find the right peaks and valley's in both the script and performances and attain a greater balance in both.

The performances and script seemed a bit off-balanced, seeming to go to the left and then to the right without going to extremes like it couldn't find the right tone, yet somehow came across as very real. In particular, the arguement that initializes the break-up at the beginning was very well written and performed but then the attempted comedic elements that follow are never that funny to balance out the drama that came before it. As a result, the film as a comedy (especially if it was trying for Black Comedy) falls flat compared to it's dramatic elements, and as a drama it never finds the comic relief it needs to sustain our emotional connection to it's characters. "The War of the Roses" did it much, much better.

I did absolutely love Peter Billingsly in this film and wish to heaven he'll want to act more in the future. He looks like a cross between Barney Rubble and Jeff Bridges and got more laughs from me with his two scenes than the entire film did. Also, Vincent D'Onofrio was fantastic as the older brother in charge of the family business. He had only a few scenes, but I would watch a while film about what his life must be like.

Apparently I need therapy to work on my issues with women, considering my review of 'Because I Said So' and this one, but I just couldn't understand the measures Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) went to in order to save their relationship. To me, it's like blowing up your car to save on car insurance or setting fire to your house to lower the heating bill. I do understand her reasons for wanting a change in their relationship, but her methods left me perplexed. I'm reaching the age of "confirmed bachelor" and it keeps me awake some nights, but given the options of dealing with characters like women in these aforementioned films, I really don't see a choice.

And please don't give me the arguement about how these women are characters in a movie and real people don't behave this way. I have plenty of examples to back up my opinion.