The Change-Up: A Good-Natured Comedy

The Change Up is an exercise in opposites. Dave (Bateman) is an overworked lawyer and family man, while his best friend Mitch (Reynolds) is a slacker actor. While peeing in a fountain and envying each others' lives, they accidentally switch bodies and must go about as the other until they can figure out how to reverse the switch.

Ryan Reynolds should do more comedy. He's hilarious whether as Mitch who has no responsibilities and nothing expected of him or as Dave, a very successful lawyer in the middle of the most important week of his career hoping that his nincompoop best friend – now inhabiting his body – doesn't mess up his job and his already rocky marriage. His [removed]as Dave) when surveying the squalor that is Mitch's apartment is priceless; especially when he gets a look at the fridge.   

A lot of the humour comes from Mitch's ineptitude with Dave's young daughter, Cara, and his baby twins. While Dave is the image of the perfect father, Mitch hasn't the slightest clue what to do with kids, which results in some pretty hilarious hi-jinks. Mitch pours milk on the twins, leaves them unattended next to knives and electric sockets and teaches Cara to always solve her problems with violence, which manifests itself as a pretty epic judo flip in the middle of a ballet recital. Bateman does a great job portraying both characters, but it's when he goes so thoroughly against his type as man-child Mitch that he's at his funniest.  

As a rule, The Change Up isn't mean or malicious. While Mitch is rather ridiculously sexist, his behaviour is never allowed to slide. You're not laughing with the sexist jerk, you're laughing at the depth of his misogyny. In addition, Dave's wife Jamie (Mann) is portrayed in a surprisingly sympathetic manner when she could have very easily been written off as the nagging wife. Mann does a great job merging the emotional and the comedic, and she ends up being the film's heart. Jamie's married to a man who, although perfect on paper, is never satisfied. She barely sees him because he's so caught up with his work and while she knows that he loves her and that he's fully committed to the family, she doesn't feel it because he's hardly ever around.

By the end, both men have realized that neither of their lives are as perfect as they made them out to be and are fully ready get their own lives back on track again. While The Change Up is pretty formulaic (It's basically Freaky Friday for dudes) and you can tell exactly what's going to happen from a mile away, it's funny and light and never grates on.

About the Author

Staff Writer for Cairo 360 

Original article on:Cairo360

Ya Ana Ya Howa: A Jekyll and Hyde Comedy

Saeed (El Shafei) is a pushover man-child. He wears bright onesies to bed, has a Justin Bieber haircut, decorates his flat with pictures of Winnie the Pooh and watches cartoons while drinking milk. He's in love with a woman called Gamila (El Baroudi) to whom he's been sending anonymous love letters for 20 years without ever being able to pluck up the courage to introduce himself. He reaches his breaking point when a neighbour continues her quest to spoil his mornings and his alter ego Hazem appears. Hazem has greaser hair, smokes and drinks, has a way with girls and won't let anyone boss him around.

Saeed's latest assignment at the paper he works for causes both him and his alter ego to get mixed up in the robbing of a newly discovered Ancient Egyptian artefact. When Gamila gets unwillingly entangled in the robbery in her capacity as an Egyptologist, Saeed has to take a stand against Hazem to save the life of the woman he loves. 

This is Nedal El Shafei's film, and comes across as a Mohammed Saad / Ahmad Mekki hybrid. As Saeed his facial tics are really quite similar to that of Saad. While as Hazem, he brought to mind Mekki, especially during a choreographed dance scene to Michael Jackson's Dangerous. 

El Shafei's scenes show that he has the talent; he just needs the right material and better direction. There were some parts where he had to hold arguments between the two personalities and he'd switch his mannerisms and voice at a really rapid pace. During these scenes, you could always tell who was saying what and which identity was dominant at any given moment. He almost morphs into another person. Despite this, El Shafei is not helped by the direction. The director should have trusted the actor enough to convey the switching of identities without the background animal noises and the weird effects that were sometimes employed and which only served to give the film an amateurish feel. 

Story-wise, the film isn't very coherent. Saeed is shown to be working at a newspaper at the beginning of the film. The editor-in-chief gives him an assignment and this is apparently the set up for the rest of the film. The connection between the stolen artefact and the piece he was commissioned to write isn't made clear. Honestly, the latter seemed like a detail of no importance until the end of the film when the story finally clicks. 

The romantic subplot also needed to be fleshed out more. We're never given a reason as to why they're interested in one another, other than he's been sending her love letters for twenty years and that these letters are now a huge part of her life.

Despite the story's potholes and the amateurish effects employed, Ya Ana Ya Howashould be a stepping stone to projects that can better showcase El Shafei's talents. Until then however, this film offers a few entertaining scenes in the middle of an inconsistent and rather confusing whole.

About the Author

Staff Writer for Cairo 360 

Original article on:Cairo360

Bridesmaids: Smart Comedy That Won't Just Appeal To Women

This is a story about two lifelong best friends Annie (Wiig) and Lillian (Rudolph) whose lives are diverging wildly. Annie is broke, miserable and single while Lillian is happily engaged. Lillian chooses Annie to be her maid of honour, which is fine until she meets Helen (Byrne), a bridesmaid who is everything that Annie isn't. She's rich, married and glamorous; and she seems to have her whole life under control.

Calling this a straight comedy is kind of misleading. Bridesmaids is wickedly funny but at its heart it's about how Annie hits rock bottom then proceeds to pick herself up again. You'll laugh a lot, but you'll also cry, cringe and occasionally scream at the characters. It's about a woman that hates herself so much and who is completely lacking in self-esteem to the point that she puts up with a man who has no respect for her and routinely kicks her out of bed. 

The only person that Annie can rely on is her best friend Lillian and that relationship becomes increasingly strained during the wedding planning due to a class clash in the form of that certain bridesmaid called Helen. These crazies provide the kind of laughs that shake up your entire body especially when they're flying to Vegas and Annie gets high on pills and liquor. This also happens to be the best use of a Britney Spears song in a movie ever. In fact, the whole soundtrack is pretty awesome and includes everyone from Fiona Apple to Hole to Blondie.

The refreshing thing about this film is that it almost completely focuses on the women. For a change, it's the men that are defined by their relationships with the women instead of the other way round. This doesn't mean that all the women are three dimensional characters, though; in fact quite a few are walking stereotypes. The two men in Annie's life are basically used as shorthand for her relationship with herself. When she's at her most self-loathing, she hooks up with Ted (Hamm), and when she feels better about herself, she hangs out with Rhodes (O'Dowd). 

This isn't like most wedding-centric chick flicks that showcase demented bridezillas. Lillian's wedding isn't the reason behind Annie, Lillian and Helen's problems, but it is the catalyst.The film doesn't deal with their problems simplistically, and this allows the viewer to see the women as something more than shallow stereotypes.

Rudolph's Lillian is absolutely brilliant. She's torn between two worlds; the solidly working class one that she grew up in and the upper class world that she's marrying into. She shows just how difficult it can be to navigate both without losing your friends and, more importantly, losing yourself. Wiig's Annie is hilarious, desperate and completely messed up. You find yourself alternately wanting to cuddle her then yell at her, which makes the part where one of her friends finally slaps some sense into her hugely cathartic. While both Wiig and Rudolph are known for their comedic talents, they fully establish themselves here as nuanced actresses; and watching their friendship fall apart on screen is rather heartbreaking.

Bridesmaids is a smart comedy for adults. It's as touching as it is funny, and will appeal to both male and female audiences. It's right up there with the best of the comedy hits that we've seen in the last few years.

About the Author

Staff Writer for Cairo 360 

Original article on:Cairo360

 

Bibo We Besheer: Quirky and Likeable Rom-Com

Besheer (Yaseen) works a Tanzanian translator for the Tanzanian coach of the Egyptian basketball team; a rather strange job to say the least. You'd think so, until you find out that Bibo (Shalaby) is a tabla player in a barely new musical group. It's not just strange jobs that the two stars of the film have in common. What brings the two together is their search for an apartment in Downtown Cairo. Besheer, sick of living under his father's iron fist at home, is in search for freedom, and Bibo must relocate fromPort Saidif she is to follow her musical dreams.

The heavens smile on the two, as they are able to combine their separate budgets to rent an apartment- but with a catch. Bibo has the apartment from 7AM to 8PM, and Besheer has it from 8PM to 7AM. Desperate as they are, they agree to the landlord's stipulation without ever knowing one another, and an impossible chance meeting between the two causes complications to this hidden arrangement as they fall for each other.

Despite the ridiculous plot, it's hard not to like this film. It's a little strange how the tone of the scenes differ greatly; pure comedy, straight drama and actually quite downbeat pessimism. What carries all this through though is the combination of Yaseen and Shalaby, who make for one of the best on-screen chemistries you're likely to see in this type of film. Yaseen really owns his role as Besheer, whereas Shalaby at times seems lost with her not-as-well-formed character Bibo.  

For your own sanity though, you will need to overlook the nonsensical coincidences that the plot relies on to move forward, but the film gives you enough incentive to do so. Debuting director Miriam Abo Ouf weaves her story well, but lacks the eye-for-detail of a seasoned filmmaker. That will come in time, and at least she has imposed a style of her own. The way she has chosen to film and edit together the basketball matches, and her depiction ofPort Saidis impressive.

Bibo and Besheer will not come even close to blowing you away, and the best we can say is that this is a nice and pleasant film. Not the most affecting of testimonies, but it sure beats some of the Eid and Ramadan films we've seen so this year.

Bibo and Besheer is thought to be loosely based on the 1985 Egyptian filmEl Sha'a Men Ha' El Zawga in which a football player and a single mother live together and try to drive each other out of an apartment they both claim ownership to.

About the Author

Staff Writer for Cairo 360 

Original article on:Cairo360

Kicking and Laughing Our Way Through Kung Fu Hustle

Calling all Jackie Chan fans, calling all Jackie Chan fans! Do we have your attention now? Great, because you are in for a treat.

Are you in search for great martial arts action film but are at a loss of where to begin because there are so many? Why not take a look at one of China's finest producers, directors, actors, and writers, Stephen Chow, and his film that has won the hearts of many, Kung Fu Hustle. While this movie is chock full of fist swinging and punch throwing action, it is a difficult movie to define.

Kung Fu Hustle holds several elements that can place it into many genres. There is a love story, Asian master fighters, excellent fight scenes, mystery, knee slapping humor, outrageous special effects and a kind of suspense that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Spanning over so many genres, Kung Fu Hustle is nearly impossible to dislike for those who are imaginative individuals and feed off the sense of adventure.  Whatever your preconceived notions are about this movie, throw them out the window because they are not accurate until you watch the movie to confirm them.

Even though there are many facets that make this action movie complete, Kung Fu Hustle still sticks to its original kung fu storyline. There are a variety of names for great and powerful fighting stances and moves, such as the "lions roar," which is a powerful move that can only be acquired by a kung fu master. The kung fu master in this flick is quite unsuspecting! Remember that hint of mystery we mentioned?

Another appropriately named kung fu fighting move is the "Palm of Buddha," which is hilarious to see in action, to say the least. The fighting scenes are marvelously over-the-top, with awe inspiring special effects that mirror the effects you see in "The Matrix," but still hold their own originality.

The story begins with a man, Sing, who wishes to fight like a master and is sure that he will learn by joining a very powerful, neighborhood gang called the Axe Gang. While this gang terrorizes the town's citizens, the Landlord and Landlady forbid these happenings by pushing the Axe Gang out of the town. This movie must be taken with a light heart and open mind. Chow very wittily pokes some fun at the martial arts action genre, but it is done tastefully so. While throughout the movie the viewer may find it difficult to put their finger on this film, once you arrive at the ending, you will be pleasantly surprised and pleased.

For more information or questions regarding buying or selling used action film DVDs from Kung Fu Hustle to Rush Hour, visit www.used-actionmovies.com. For any questions you may have, please contact us at customerservice@secondspin.com.

About the Author

Brad Parmerter has almost 20 years experience in the music and entertainment industry as a writer, programmer, and merchandiser. He has professionally interviewed and photographed such artists as: Rush, Metallica, Celine Dion, Live, Phil Collins, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Live, Van Halen, Queensryche, Anna Nalick, Styx, Def Leppard, and many more.

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