Ted (2012)

Much to my surprise, "Ted" actually turned out to be one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while.

I recently took my parents to see this film because we had no desire to see the new Spider Man movie, at least not until it releases on DVD (there's something about rebooting a movie that was made in the past 10 years that seems so ridiculous to me), and nothing else of interest was playing. I didn't go into it expecting much, which is probably why I ended up loving it as much as I did.

The movie is about the relationship between a guy named John Bennett, played by Mark Wahlberg, and his teddy bear Ted, who came to life after John made a Christmas wish as a little boy. The two are inseparable, but John's girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) tests their friendship when she asks John to do some growing up. Blah blah blah - comedy and hijinks ensue.

This was Seth MacFarlane's big movie directing debut, and I certainly hope this will be the first of many for him. I do have to say, I think you need to enjoy the humor of his show Family Guy to enjoy "Ted." Much of the humor is similar, and by that I mean raunchy and irreverent. Luckily, that stuff is right up my alley. Speaking of Family Guy, many of the show's cast are actually in the film, including Kunis (who voices Meg), MacFarlane obviously, Alex Borstein (Lois), and Patrick Warburton (Joe). Basically, if you enjoy Family Guy, you're going to love "Ted." 

A lot of what Ted and John do is sit around and get high while telling profane jokes (what's not to enjoy with a plot like that?). They are both kind of stuck in this state of arrested development and tend to enable each other's bad behavior. They manage to get themselves into some pretty ridiculous situations along the way, which gives the viewer some pretty consistent laughs throughout.

While their relationship is funny to watch, it was actually endearing at times, too. The two have been best friends since childhood and have been by each other's side ever since. What's funny is that their relationship appears so realistic that after only a few minutes into the movie, you begin to look past the fact that Ted is a stuffed toy. Towards the end of the movie, you realize you actually care about the pot-smoking teddy bear and the bromance between Ted and John.

I feel like this will be one of those movies that gets funnier every time you watch it, kind of like "Anchorman" and "Zoolander." There were just so many great one-liners and humorous pop culture references, which MacFarlane is so great at. While there may have been some jokes that fell flat, the majority of them made the movie.

Leave it to Seth MacFarlane to take such a goofy premise and completely make it work.


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R, 1 hr. 55 min.
Comedy

Directed By: Seth MacFarlane

Written By: Seth MacFarlane

In Theaters: Jun 29, 2012 Wide
Box Office:$159.0M

Universal Pictures

Black Swan (2010)

Ok, so this is definitely a movie that's actually worth all the Oscar buzz. The story is thrilling/disturbing/unsettling/entertaining and Natalie Portman gives an incredibly compelling performance.

'Black Swan' is about a ballet dancer (Portman) who wins the leading role in the production of "Swan Lake." However, Portman's character, Nina Sayers, is all about perfection. She spends hours and hours making sure every move is just right. But the director, played by Vincent Cassel, wants to make the performance edgier than ever before, and he really pushes Nina to perform both the angelic white swan but also be able to let go of her rigid perfection with the evil black swan. The immense pressure starts to get to Nina, and with that comes feelings of paranoia, doubt and fear.

Portman is one of the few actresses I truly enjoy watching on film. She has played so many different roles in her career, many of them being strong-willed characters, but here she is playing a fragile and meek dancer... and I instantly believed it. She can easily convey so many complex emotions with grace and ease. Not to mention the strange metamorphosis she undergoes during this particular film. It's incredible to watch.

Mila Kunis plays Lily, another dancer in the ballet who exudes sex appeal and charm. It becomes clear to Nina that Lily is able to portray the black swan with much less effort. At one point, Nina fears Lily is trying to usurp the role of swan queen. The two leading ladies make for an interesting dichotomy on screen, and Kunis delivers an equally convincing role.

Both actresses began training for the roles six months prior to shooting in order to attain the proper body type and tone for a ballet dancer. They underwent daily exercise regimens and dance training (several hours a day) along with a strict diet of 1,200 calories a day. It was reported that Kunis actually got down to under 100 pounds. Although that all sounds pretty hardcore, I think it ultimately paid off and made the movie look that much more authentic.

Intense and haunting, this film takes the audience through a psychological nightmare that will leave their nerves shot and minds blown... and possibly needing a hug afterward.

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Genre: Mystery & Suspense, Drama
Synopsis: A ballet dancer wins the lead in "Swan Lake" and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odette's evil sister, Odile, the Black Swan.

Rated: R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use
Running Time: 1 hr. 50 min.
In Theaters: Dec 3, 2010 Limited
Box Office:$95.9M

Distributor:Fox Searchlight
Directed By: Darren Aronofsky