Movie Review: Two Weeks (2006)

Genre: Dramedy  

Director: Steve Stockman  

Starring: Sally Field, Ben Chaplin, Julianne Nicholson, Thomas Cavanagh  

Running Time: 102 minutes  

Synopsis: Suffering from terminal cancer, Anita (Sally Field) is placed under home palliative care, and her grown children gather to provide support in her final days. Keith (Ben Chaplin) is a Hollywood actor, Barry (Thomas Cavanagh) is a businessman, Emily (Julianne Nicholson) is the responsible daughter, and Matthew (Glenn Howerton) is the disrespected youngest sibling. Tears mix with laughter as the siblings navigate their mother's health, moods, final wishes, and each other.

What Works Well: This standard family-coping-with-death drama appreciates moments of healthy humour, highlighted by the intervention of a less-than-effective Rabbi and one misfit spouse. Sally Field is reliably perfect as Anita surrenders to her final few days, and straight-to-the-audience flashbacks animate the role as a healthier Anita responds to her son Keith's from-behind-the-camera prodding. Elsewhere the four siblings' different personalities, levels of responsibility, and methods of coping are sharply drawn.

What Does Not Work As Well: None of the important clear-the-air conversations ever seem to happen, the aversion to difficult resolutions perhaps realistic but contributing to a narrative happy to amble along in blissful avoidance. A final let-it-all-out emotional release is just too contrived.

Key Quote:

Barry (to Keith): I've never been thrown out of a grocery store.

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Movie Review: The Truth About Cats And Dogs (1996)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Director: Michael Lehmann

Starring: Janeane Garofalo, Uma Thurman, Ben Chaplin, Jamie Foxx

Running Time: 97 minutes

Synopsis: Los Angeles veterinarian and radio show host Abby Barnes (Janeane Garofalo) is a short brunette and perceives herself as unattractive. She senses a connection with caller Brian (Ben Chaplin), but a misunderstanding results in Abby's tall blonde neighbour Noelle (Uma Thurman) representing herself as Abby. Brian starts seeing both Noelle (believing her to be Abby) and Abby (pretending to be Noelle's friend Donna), and the resultant complicated romantic triangle will be tough to untangle.

What Works Well: With director Michael Lehmann maintaining brisk pacing and wrapping up in under 100 minutes, this variation on Cyrano de Bergerac benefits from two appealing lead performances. Janeane Garofalo convinces as a competent woman trapped in a societally-induced negative self image trap, while Uma Thurman finds funny notes as the goofy model who never has to worry about attracting men. An intimate all-night phone date between Brian and the real Abby achieves a romantic highlight, while the pets add a lovable factor. 

What Does Not Work As Well: Sustaining an entire romantic comedy on a single case of muddled identity requires plenty of cinematically dim, far-fetched, and quite laborious behaviour by otherwise smart people. Within the sparse two-legged supporting cast, Jamie Foxx is wasted.

Conclusion: The cats and dogs are willing, but get limited toys to play with.



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